And Yet Dusk Fades
by AndYetDuskFades
Summary: If she could paint the world, she would color it black and white. Then everything would be simple.
1. Running

**Leah**_  
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It was a scene stolen from bygone dreams, changed and distorted to fit my reality. It was the same and yet agonizingly different, masquerading in front of me and waiting silently for my defences to crumble.

I stared at the ground and tried to concentrate on moving each foot deliberately in front of the other, knowing all too well the sight that would greet me if I dared to lift my eyes. I knew that Sam would be watching me, waiting eagerly beneath the white, wooden archway; not even my presence would be enough to keep a smile from lighting his face. Jared and Paul would be standing with him, all three men uncharacteristically dressed in a suit. Under different circumstances, the thought might have made me laugh.

The music playing softly in the background was hauntingly beautiful. Violins and keyboards accented my steps, emphasizing the differences between reality and fantasy. Reality moved in slow motion – each step that I took seemed to last an age. Halfway down the aisle, I took a deep breath and looked up. Carefully avoiding Sam's gaze, I focused on the landscape behind him.

Nobody could deny the beauty of the scene that lay bare before me. Land plummeted to meet water in a steep drop just metres behind the altar. Though the base of the cliff was hidden from view, I could hear the waves lapping restlessly at the rocks below. Away to the left, beach-goers took advantage of the unusually warm day. The light breeze was not enough to carry their laughter, and from this height, they appeared small and insignificant. In the distance, dark clouds descended to kiss the ocean's horizon, threatening the reservation with an evening storm.

The ceremony was taking place atop of one of La Push's larger stone precipices; it was where Sam's parents had been married and where he had once vowed that he would wed me. I closed my eyes and tried to swallow back the painful memory. Time was passing too slowly; my calm façade was delicate and I could feel cracks beginning to form. I quickened my pace, no longer bothering to keep time with the music.

I reached the altar as a soft, synchronized, murmur ran through the small assembly. Turning around, I sucked in a sharp breath. As it had this morning, Emily's beauty caught me off guard. Her dress was simple and elegant; the white fabric clung gently to her chest before flowing gracefully to the floor, merely hinting at the figure beneath. Her golden skin, accentuated by the fabric, shimmered as she walked. It was difficult not to take notice of Emily's beauty on an ordinary day; today, it was all but impossible. Her face was radiant; shy bliss adorned her every feature. Such was the brilliance of her expression that it consumed her face. I would defy even the most ignorant onlooker to notice the scars that disfigured the right hand side of her face.

Powerless to submit to my head's screaming warning, I turned to glance at Sam. He had his right hand cupped over his mouth and proud tears threatened to fall from his eyes. His expression was one of absolute reverence as he watched his bride walking gracefully towards him.

I was suddenly aware of my body's reaction to the wedding. I felt hot and clammy, and my skin began to prickle. A faint ringing sounded in my ears and though the noises around me dimmed, I could hear the steady rhythm of my heart.

Seth took the place of Emily's late father at her side. I couldn't believe how much he'd grown up in the past year. Inclining his head seriously, he place Emily's hand in Sam's and moved to take his place next to Paul. I fought to keep a smile on my face as Emily and Sam spoke their vows; I wanted so badly to look as if each word was not a knife to my heart. I stared out past the heads of the guests as the rings were exchanged, but instinctively glanced down when I felt a pair of eyes watching me. Bella Cullen's face was filled with sympathy as she gazed unashamedly towards me. My smile faltered as I read her poorly-disguised pity. Detecting the venom in my thoughts, Edward nudged her gently.

I heard the applause and the wolf-whistles when Emily and Sam kissed, but I didn't turn to watch. A few moments later, Seth hissed my name under his breath. I turned towards him and saw Sam, flanked by Jared and Paul, and Emily being led away to a small table positioned to the left of the altar. I hurriedly followed, avoiding the curious glances from the guests. The bride and groom sat down at the table to another chorus of applause and then holding hands, they signed the register. I turned my head away from the cameras flashing in our direction.

'So, which one of you boys is next?' Emily asked quietly. She was grinning suggestively at Sam's groomsmen.

Jared snorted, 'Well considering that Paul's been practicing for that garter toss...'

Paul punched him lightly in the arm, but he, too, was grinning.

'Yeah, Jacob would just love that,' I muttered under my breath. The thought of being stuck with Paul as a brother-in-law was not an appealing one.

At the sound of my voice, they all turned to stare at me in shock. Though I was well practiced in keeping my emotions to myself – at least in my human form – nobody, including myself, had been entirely sure how I'd react to the wedding. Only Sam kept the surprise from colouring his face. I rolled my eyes angrily and bit back the words that were already on my tongue.

Paul was the first to recover. 'Sure sure. Jake just doesn't know how lucky he is!'

'Oh he knows alright,' I replied, smiling sweetly. 'You'll be the lucky one if you make it to your wedding with both arms still attached to your body.'

Jared howled with laughter and Emily smiled tentatively up at me.

'You look beautiful, Ems,' I whispered softly, gently squeezing her shoulder. I didn't want my pain to ruin her day. Though our relationship teetered dangerously on the edge of a cliff, Emily was still my best friend.

In response to my touch, Emily jumped up from her seat and flung her arms around me.

'Oh, Leah!' she cried, laughing as she sobbed. 'Thank you!'

Emily's happiness came at the expense of my own, and though today's pain was sharper than usual, it was a price that I'd long come to terms with.

I gently peeled her arms from around my neck and inclined my head towards the white marquee that was set up in a clearing about a hundred metres from the cliff's edge. 'I think you two had better lead the way.'

Sam was already at her side. He took her hand and nodding solemnly at me, he led Emily away. Jared and Paul were still bantering noisily as they, too, walked towards the marquee. The guests turned to follow the procession and, unable to move, I stood where I was and watched. Alone for the first time, I allowed memories of this morning to creep, unbidden, into my mind.

(*** * ***)

_I stood at the water's edge, watching the waves forming gentle ripples around my feet. I liked the feel of the sand between my toes. Though the rising sun was cloaked by its usual cover of clouds, the morning remained warm. Only a light breeze caressed my skin. Despite today's weather forecast, there was no sign of an approaching storm. Not that that was surprising, I thought, frowning. The psychic blood-sucker had assured Emily of the weather's cooperation. As long as you're done by dusk, she'd said, the storm won't bother you._

_I yawned. I'd run patrols with Jacob all night and I could feel the exhaustion beginning to catch up with me. Though my presence was unnecessary, Jake hadn't tried to deter me from joining him._

_I was still frowning when I heard the soft sound of approaching footsteps. It was funny how, even after all of this time, I still recognized the footsteps as Sam's. Turning around, I watched as he walked hesitantly towards me._

_'Jacob said I'd find you here,' he said, in explanation._

_'Right,' I answered, unsure of what to say in response. My voice was hoarse._

_'Do you mind if we talk?'_

_I smiled wryly, 'Will it make a difference if I told you that I did?'_

_'Probably not, I guess,' he replied, shifting uncomfortably. He looked uncertain as to how he should continue._

_'Big day today, huh?' I tried my best to sound indifferent._

_'Yeah,' Sam said, smiling for the first time. 'Listen, Leah, I just wanted to say thank you… you know, for today. I know that it won't be easy for you.'_

_My eyes narrowed. 'I'm not doing this for you, Sam.' I hated the way that his name tasted on my tongue._

_'Yeah, I know. All the same though, it means a lot to Emily.'_

_'Then she can thank me herself.'_

_'Leah…' Sam trailed off, his eyes pleading with me to understand. 'I'm so sorry, Leah. I wish that –'_

_A harsh laugh escaped my lips and cut him off. 'No you don't, Sam. Don't tell me that you wish things were different because you don't.'_

_He stared back at me, his face contorted with pain. It was strange, considering all that we knew and understood of each other, to think that I hadn't yet had this conversation with Sam. Before I'd joined the pack, Sam's apologies were limited by his obligation to protect the pack's secret. Once I'd phased, Sam and I had shared more of our thoughts than we'd ever meant to and the necessity of this conversation seemed to no longer exist. I couldn't remember the last time that we'd spoken face to face. Given that we understood exactly how one another felt, it seemed easier that way. Why verbalize our sufferings?_

_I hated the concern that flashed across his face. I wanted him to tell me that I was right: that despite my pain, he was glad that he'd met and fallen in love with my cousin. Forget the hurt and forget even the betrayal; if only Sam would stop caring about me, maybe then I could get on with my life. If he couldn't love me the way that he once did, I didn't want him to love me at all. It was too difficult – too painful._

_Sam didn't speak. Angered by his silence, I continued, letting go of the words I'd been holding inside. 'Just stop, please, Sam! You don't get to feel sorry for me!' I was yelling now. 'You don't get to come here and apologize to me for the simple sake of easing your own guilt! I don't want to deal with your pain on top of my own!'_

_My words were not just for Sam; they were for Emily too – Sam was just the easier of the two to hurt. The guilt that would accompany my words had I yelled them at Emily didn't touch me when I screamed them at Sam._

_He didn't defend himself, he just waited. I wanted to continue, and I wanted Sam to yell back, but I was shaking violently, my control rapidly ebbing away._

_'I need to go and help Emily get ready,' I said through gritted teeth and then, turning from Sam, I fled._

(*** * ***)

'Leah?' Jacob's voice brought me back to the present.

I hadn't heard him approach. Shaking my head to clear the memory, I turned to him. He was staring at me questioningly, his eyes slightly narrowed.

'How're you holding – '

'Don't ask me how I'm holding up, Jacob Black!' I snapped angrily, cutting him off.

'Fair enough,' he muttered. 'Listen, are you going to come and join the party?'

'Do I have a choice?'

'There's plenty of good food,' he replied grinning, and then, grabbing my arm gently, he began to tow me towards the reception.

I allowed myself to be pulled along, knowing that I'd have to face the guests sooner or later. I was only a few feet from the marquee when Sam and Emily took to the dance floor. I stopped dead. My legs refused to move and the ringing returned to my ears. They gazed adoringly into one another's eyes as they floated and spun to the music. I felt like I was going to be sick.

'Hey, um, Leah?'

I didn't immediately recognize the voice. Thankful for the distraction, I turned towards the newcomer. Jared stood staring at me, fiddling with his tie.

I raised my eyebrows but didn't respond.

'Look, Leah, I was wondering if you'd, you know, like to dance with me or something? What with the whole bridesmaid-groomsman thing...' he trailed off awkwardly.

I stared at him in shock. 'No.'

'Right… Well… OK then.' Though he tried to hide it, Jared's relief was evident on his face. I wanted to hit him. I glared after him as he hurried away.

'Leah?'

'What?' I said, exasperated, turning back to Jacob.

He was grinning. 'Check out Paul!'

Searching the faces, I found Paul easily. His hands were balled up into fists and his jaw was set angrily as he watched Rachel whirling around the dance floor with Embry.

Jacob was openly laughing now. 'I bribed Embry to get to her before Paul did,' he snorted.

I couldn't help grinning in response, though the smile didn't reach my eyes. 'You had better be careful, Jake, or Rachel's going to end up looking like Emily.' I cautioned, watching as Paul began to shake.

'He knows I'd kill him.' Jacob's voice was serious now, though he was still enjoying Paul's discomfort.

I watched Jacob out of the corner of my eyes. Every few seconds, his eyes flashed towards Renesmee, who was dancing in a tight circle with Edward and Bella. The happy family were holding hands and laughing as they spun round and round.

I couldn't do this. I thought that I could, but I couldn't.

'I have to go, Jake.'

Jacob didn't argue. He just nodded. Grateful for his quiet understanding, I turned and fled from my pain for the second time that day.

My dress made it difficult to run. I only had to reach the edge of the forest and I'd be free from its restraint. I hated running in my human form. Though still fast, it was nothing compared to racing through the forest as a wolf. I smiled grimly – being a wolf had to come with some perks, right?

It didn't take long before I was hidden beneath the trees' shadows. I pulled roughly at the zip of my dress and it broke in my fingers. Shaking uncontrollably, I shouted out in frustration. I wasn't going to get the dress off in time. Not that I cared about the dress, I thought sardonically. Still, it would have been useful to have something to wear home tonight. The cry died on my lips just moments before I phased.

And then I was running.

Away from everything I loved and everything I hated.

I was running and I never wanted to stop.


	2. Stand In The Rain

Small flecks of mud, propelled by the unrelenting rain as it struck the ground, flew up into my face as I ran. I growled crossly as it painted the grey fur around my nose brown. I would be pulling clumps of mud out of my hair for weeks following this little expedition.

I had been running for several hours and it was getting late. Quil and Seth would be out running patrols soon and I wanted to get back to La Push before they joined me in my prison of acrid thoughts. I almost wished that I could leave the reservation the way that Jacob did all those months ago. Though somewhat forced, his thoughts during that time had been blissfully animalistic – more wolf than human.

More than wishing for that life, I wished that I could _want_ that life.

Besides the obvious, I was the odd one out amongst my brothers. For one thing, I was noticeably smaller than the other wolves and, I thought smugly, a lot faster. But the differences were more than physical – in my wolf form, my thoughts were more _human_ than the rest of the wolves. It wasn't that their thoughts were _un_human; my brothers had just adjusted more easily to a wolf-like way of thinking in certain situations. I struggled to allow my wolf-instincts to consume and govern my mind. Hunting for food, and even hunting for vampires, was done on my part with the company of blatantly human instincts. Of course, my human instincts loathed vampires as much as my wolf instincts did and so, though I approached the chase differently to my brothers, it was not a major problem.

My aversion to the wolf lifestyle is why I knew that I could never leave and live as Jacob had done. The prospect of denying my humanity repulsed me as much as the solitude of such an existence enticed me. Besides, running away from my pain would only acknowledge the fact that I was broken beyond repair. Though everyone around me suspected as much, I was proud enough to pretend that they didn't.

I was nearing the edge of the forest now where the tattered remnants of my bridesmaid dress awaited me. Though it had been shredded by my transformation, I was still hoping that I'd be able to salvage a few scraps of fabric to help me get home with a little of my dignity still intact. I silently cursed my poor self-control.

The trees began to thin. I stopped and bared my teeth in something of a grin as I saw the torn pieces of coral-coloured fabric littering the forest floor. There, amongst the fragments of my dress, lay a rain-drenched pile of clothes. Relief flooded my body as I returned to my human form and walked over to the small pile of charity. I picked up a long-sleeved, white shirt from the top of the pile and brought it to my nose. It was laced with Jacob's scent.

I would have to remember to thank him for this.

I ripped the too-long sleeves from the rest of shirt with ease and draped it around my shoulders. It was the same shirt Jacob had worn earlier this afternoon. The alterations that I'd made wouldn't bother him; he had probably embraced the excuse that I'd given him to be rid of it. As I quickly did up the buttons, I allowed a small smile to lift the corners of my lips. Though it didn't reach my eyes, it felt nice to relieve my face of its trademark scowl.

I reached down to examine the remainder of the clothes and barked a short, surprised laugh as I picked up the tie that Jacob had worn to the wedding. Trust Jake to leave me with a tie – I suppose that it was one more pretentious garment that he was now rid of thanks to me. I pulled on the oversized pair of denim cut-offs that he'd also left and threaded the tie through the belt-loops, tying it into a tight knot and preventing the pants from slipping off. _I might as well make use of it_, I thought, rolling my eyes.

As I looked around at the coral-flecked ground, I wondered vaguely how many torn pieces of clothes now littered the forest floor thanks to my brothers and me. I swallowed the painful lump that rose in my throat for no apparent reason and began to walk. I didn't concentrate on where I was going; I simply walked. Now that I had something to wear, I wasn't overly keen on the idea of going home.

As I walked, I lifted my face to the sky and breathed in deeply while the rain hammered at my skin. I enjoyed the rain so much more when I was human. My heightened vision allowed me to track the path of each raindrop as they rocketed towards my face. Though there were no visible stars to reflect in their crystal coverings, I fancied that the drops reflected a little of the sky from which they came.

I tried to clear my mind, to banish all of the memories that swirled around in my head, daring me hold everything together. I don't know what I'd expected to feel after the wedding. I had hoped that the pain would be familiar – the kind of pain that I felt each time I watched Sam and Emily together. That hurt was, however torturous, something I had learned to deal with. Today's ache was sharper than I was used to; it was a knife waiting to cut away at every painless thought, until I was left with nothing but the agony that inescapably clouded my past.

I stopped walking and looked around. I was standing on top of the cliff where the wedding had taken place earlier today, with no clear idea of how I'd arrived there. It was a relief to stand where I had this afternoon and give in to the emotions that I'd been holding back, this time without an audience there to witness my pain.

I didn't cry. Crying would have been too easy. I knew that if I yielded to the tears, I wouldn't be able to stop. This had been my choice all along – to give into the tears that I so badly wanted to cry, or to hide my pain behind a cruel and mocking disposition. I hated the bitterness that so rigidly defined me – I hated it, but I needed it the way that I needed air. My hostility was my shelter; without it, I was an open target. I might as well walk around with a sign around my neck saying 'shoot me'. At least that would be quicker, less painful.

I walked purposefully forwards towards the brink of the cliff, and curled my toes over the edge. The wind was howling wildly and pushing violently against my chest. Once upon a time, I wouldn't have stood a chance against its fierce rampage; now, I could stand motionless at the edge of the cliff and resist the force of its fury. I felt a faint sense of satisfaction as I stood, fighting against the wind – it was a battle that I could win. As pathetic as I knew it was, these were the victories that I sought nowadays.

A flash of lightning illuminated the dark, angry waters below. It was hard to believe that this same raging ocean had so serenely enhanced the beauty of Emily's wedding only a few hours earlier. Waves collided furiously with one another now, erupting in sprays of white foam. I liked this ocean better; this ocean didn't vainly endeavour to conceal the imperfections of reality.

Rain plastered my hair against my face as I blinked away the drops of water tracing patterns across my cheeks. What was I doing here? Some ghostly cue in the wind drenched up memories of a conversation I'd had with Jacob back when Bella was pregnant.

_You really want to imprint, or be imprinted on, or whichever?_ he'd asked severely. _What's wrong with going out and falling in love like a normal person, Leah? Imprinting is just another way of getting your choices taken away from you._

Just another way of getting your choices taken away from you.

Was that really such a bad thing? When you couldn't choose what you wanted, imprinting would be but a simpler, more effortless version of captivity. When Jake had asked me the question, I'd almost managed to convince myself that such a reality was what I truly wanted. Sometimes, though, I wasn't so sure. The thing was, I wasn't looking for love, or even happiness for that matter. I would settle for less. All that I wanted was for _this_ feeling to go away.

A sound in the distance caused my head to jerk up. Almost indistinguishable from the howling of the wind was the howling of wolf that I'd recognise anywhere. My forehead screwed up in confusion. What was Sam doing out tonight? He and Emily should have left by now for their honeymoon. It wasn't my business, I told myself angrily as a whisper of panic swept through me. Sam didn't sound as if he was in trouble. He probably wanted to relay some last minute orders to his pack.

Abruptly, I turned on my heel and began to run. I didn't want to be here anymore. I wanted to escape my own mind. Things had been easier when I wasn't the only broken and maimed wolf in the pack –back then, Jake had been my comrade in more senses than one. But now I was alone. Alone and bitter and trapped in a reality that I didn't want to believe in.

I was grateful for the thunder that drowned out my thoughts as I ran. A few hundred metres from the house, I slowed to a walk. I could see Seth in the distance pacing outside of our front door. That surprised me. I'd expected him to be roaming the reservation with Quil, revelling as always in his role as a protector of the tribe. Spotting my forlorn figure emerging from the darkness, he turned and jogged forwards to meet me.

'Leah!' he called loudly as he came nearer. 'Leah, where've you been?'

His voice was a little on edge. It sounded odd coming from Seth, whose voice was so often adorned with optimistic certainty and uncontrolled enthusiasm.

'Hunting vampires,' I muttered, pushing past him. I guessed that his uneasiness stemmed from my abrupt escape this afternoon, and that was not a topic that I was willing to discuss – not now, when all I wanted to do was let sleep steal my memories.

'What?' Seth demanded, grabbing my arm and swinging me around to face him.

I frowned. 'Geez Seth, I get that you're in love with the Cullens and everything, but not even you are gullible enough to believe that I was being serious... Of course if I had my way, those leeches –' I broke off at the panicked expression on his face. 'Okay, seriously, Seth! What's up?'

He turned away from my confused frown and began to run in the direction I'd just come from.

'Seth!' I shouted furiously. What the hell was the matter with him?

I only just made out his voice over the sound of the rain. 'I've got to let Jacob know that you're okay!' He shouted.

I threw my head back in frustration at his elusiveness, and then groaning indignantly, I took off after my brother.

Seth had already phased by the time I reached the edge of the forest. I didn't stop to undress. Curiosity had the better of me and, eager to make up time, I phased mid-stride and tore off after Seth's scent.

_Ah man! Those were some of my favourite pants, Leah!_

_Well maybe next time you should consider lending them to a werewolf with a better temper_, I snapped in response to Jacob's greeting.

He chuckled in response, but did nothing to hide the anxiety colouring his thoughts. Seth, Quil and Embry's worry mirrored his own.

I was apprehensive now as I sought to find a reason for their distress.

_For goodness sake, guys, what's going on?_

No one answered me, but I smelt the trails in their thoughts.

_How many?_ I asked, my thoughts a mixture of excitement and unease.

_Three, maybe four._

_Any ideas who –?_

_A couple of the leeches that came after Renesmee last month_,Jake replied. His thoughts were acidic as he answered my questions.

_The Volturi? _I asked, spitting the word sharply. It seemed wrong, somehow, to acknowledge that the blood-suckers had a name. I remembered the confrontation in the clearing a few weeks back. No wonder Jacob was so agitated.

Lost in the memory of that night, I had to skid to a stop as I suddenly reached a small clearing where Jacob and Seth waited. A large black wolf stood with them. So this was why Sam was still here. I avoided his gaze as I moved to Jacob's right hand side, thankful, as always, that he no longer shared in my thoughts.

Seth turned when I arrived and ran off.

_See ya, Leah! _he thought as he raced away. I tried to ignore the uneasiness that swept through me as I watched his retreating figure. No matter how much he'd grown up recently, he was still my baby brother – soft and breakable and far too good for me to ever stand losing. Not for the first time, I wished that he'd been a genetic dud – he would have never phased and I would have been secure in the knowledge that he wasn't out dancing each night with the very real risk of death.

_Where are you off to?_ I asked, hesitantly, though I already knew the answer.

_Quil, Embry and I are following the trails. We're going to see if they –_

_They've gone cold_, Jacob told me, cutting Seth off, _but they're worth following. Just in case, you know? Anyway, you're coming with Sam, Jared and I to the Cullens._

_Oh, great! _I thought sarcastically.

_It comes with the territory_, Quil thought sourly. He wasn't overly taken with the fact that I was above him in the pecking order.

_Yeah, the joys of being Jake's second_, I bit back. If he wanted to go with Jake to a house full of leeches, then he could be my guest.

_Enough!_ Jacob thought, silencing our bickering. _We're leaving. Sam says that Jared will intersect us on the way. _

Both he and Sam had already turned and begun to run. I followed them, catching up with ease. Jacob watched me out of the corner of his eyes as we ran side by side.

_Where were you tonight?_

_That's none of your business_, I snapped.

_It is my business when it concerns the safety of my pack_, he thought. There was an air of nobility in his tone whenever he spoke about our pack. I couldn't help but admire his leadership each time that I detected it. Nevertheless, my thoughts were slightly mocking as I answered him.

_And how exactly do my whereabouts concern the safety of the pack, Oh Great One?_

I was ready to respond again in the same sarcastic tone, but his reply brought me up short. _One of them travelled alone_, he thought, _a few miles south of his companions. We found his scent near where you phased – where I left you the clothes. The scent was strong enough to obscure yours, so we had no idea where you were, especially since you were no longer in your wolf-form._

_Did you follow his trail?_

_Yeah, he travelled up near the cliffs... where Sam and Emily... yeah, well, you know the area. Anyway, he turned around and headed back towards the forest before his scent converged with the others._

My body went rigid as Jacob spoke. He recognised the alarm in my thoughts as I quickly ran through the last few vulnerable hours in my head.

_He was downwind of me_, I told Jacob. _That's why I never smelt him._

The blood-sucker would have smelt _me_, though. My thoughts raced as I tried to make sense of the fact that he'd left me alone. What was he doing up on the cliffs, if not tracking my scent?

Jared had caught up with us now, but I barely noticed. My mind was still reeling as I tried to focus on the task at hand. Jacob was right – the Cullens, with all their voodoo tricks, would have a better idea of the reasons governing the Volturi's trip to La Push.

Last time, when the bloodsuckers came for Renesmee, it hadn't even turned into a fight. But this time, they were on wolf territory.

Screw the vampire hierarchy.

This time, we would take them down.


	3. Is It Any Wonder?

'Jane, Alec, Felix… The usual,' Edward said dryly. He was looking at Jacob, but his hand moved to grasp Bella's as he spoke.

'Demetri?' Carlisle asked, his voice somewhat wary. It was the first time he'd spoken since we'd arrived at the Cullen's house – as unannounced as possible – just ten minutes before.

We were gathered in the Cullen's rather large, brightly-lit lounge-room. Though Barbie sat upstairs with Renesmee, the remainder of the Cullens were assembled with us downstairs. Jared and I were both in our wolf-forms, keeping the lines of communication open with the rest of the wolves. Sam stood next to Jared, his arms crossed rigidly over his chest. Jacob, somewhat more relaxed in this house, sat casually on the arm of one of the couches.

'Demetri was on his own,' Edward replied. 'Colin found his trail earlier this evening near where the wedding took place. It was separated from the others by a couple of miles.'

Carlisle's eyebrows knitted together and he opened his mouth to speak, but Sam cut him off.

'You can know this for certain?' he asked incredulously, staring through narrowed eyelids at Edward. Small flecks of suspicion danced openly in his eyes.

I stared at Edward too, my expression mirroring Sam's. I was accustomed to the ways in which the pack's individual minds morphed into a single, complex entity of thoughts. Though I was yet to smell them for myself, I had no trouble smelling the trails in my brothers' minds. But Edward smelling the same trails in our minds with enough clarity to distinguish – and even identify – them? Now, that was just creepy.

'The Quileutes have vivid memories,' Edward replied simply.

At this announcement, Bella turned instinctively to glance at Jacob, who, for the smallest fraction of a second, allowed an amused smile to light his face. I had the feeling that it was only fear for her family which prevented an answering smile from playing on Bella's lips. My eyes flicked back and forth between the pair. Sometimes Bella and Jacob were so… odd. There was no other word for it. It was as if they were mind-readers too; only their powers extended just as far as one another's thoughts.

I shook my head gruffly to clear my mind of their absurdities, and concentrated on this new information. Though we had recognized the Volturi's scent, we had been none the wiser as to which of the zombie visitors each trail actually belonged to. I ran over their names in my head. Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri… Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri… Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri…

The names were familiar. I recognized them from the briefing that Jacob had given us last time.

_Alec and Jane_, I remembered him saying. _They're the ones that we'll need to take down first. The Cullens don't reckon that they're too flash hot at fighting – should be a piece of cake if we can just get around their talents._

_Pain and numbness_, Embry murmured, joining me as I searched through the relatively recent memories.

Quil and Seth also sifted through the information that we already had concerning particular members of the Volturi.

_Demetri's a tracker_, Seth thought quickly. _Edward's always been concerned about him._

_Yeah, Jake said that Demetri could find anyone in the world using some mind trick thing of his,_ Quil added.

Not to be outdone, Seth shared another of his memories eagerly. _That night in the clearing_, Seth told us, _when Aro moved forwards to listen to Renesmee, he was accompanied by two members of his guard. He called them Felix and Demetri._

In Seth's thoughts, I watched a decrepit-looking vampire walking slowly towards us. He was flanked on either side by two dark-haired, menacing leeches, each draped with a dark, grey cloak. One was Demetri, one was Felix. I didn't really care. Monsters shouldn't have names. As far as I was concerned, they were both just members of the enemy – faceless, filthy murderers.

A unified shudder ran through the pack as we remembered the strange Italian coven. It was not a shudder of fear, but of revulsion.

I supplied one of my own memories now: one of the two bloodsuckers – tall, lean and evil – studying Jacob and then turning smugly towards Edward. 'Interesting company you keep,' he said in a low voice.

Felix or Demetri.

I didn't really care.

Revenge would be sweet.

I glared at the Cullens and allowed a quiet, angry growl to rip through my throat. Jacob and Sam turned to look at me, but I ignored their curious stares. Edward stiffened as I turned to face him.

_Your family has done nothing since your arrival but put all of our lives in jeopardy_, I told Edward, directing my thoughts towards him. _We never asked for this life. And now, thanks to you and your blood-sucking family, we have no other option but to stand here today and defend our land from a bunch of dirty, murderous savages._

_Aww come on, Leah! _Seth groaned in protest. _You know the Cullens aren't to blame for this._

_Shut up, Seth!_ I snapped furiously. _Stay out of this. _

Quil chuckled at our exchange. _I don't know, Leah, _he thought. _Life's a hell of a lot more fun with the Cullens around._

_Yeah, because you potentially signing your own death warrant and leaving Claire to fend for herself is _so _much fun_, I scoffed. I knew that my comment would hit a nerve with Quil but I didn't care.

Edward interrupted our argument. 'Leah's right,' he said, speaking to Jacob and Sam. 'It isn't right that my family and I have put your packs in danger. We are truly sorry.'

Self-righteous jerk.

At Edward's words, Jacob spun around to face me. 'Shut up, Leah!' he grumbled, though there was no anger in his voice. Then turning back towards the Cullens, he spoke again. 'Forget it guys, we don't blame you.'

Several of the Cullens looked as if they, too, wanted to apologize, but Sam interrupted their ill-received remorse. His voice was laced with little emotion as he spoke; to Sam, this was pure business.

'We came here tonight to seek your aid,' Sam said. 'You obviously understand your own kind more than we can ever hope to. We were under the impression that this business with the Volturi was over, and yet here they are once again.'

Alice turned away from Jasper, which whom she'd been sharing several significant glances, and directed her words towards Carlisle.

'I never saw them coming,' she said, shaking her head slowly. Her words were almost a whisper.

'Maybe they had no intent to come,' Esme suggested. I'd never heard her speak before. She looked up hopefully, but shut her mouth at the skeptical glances that were quickly thrown her way.

It was Bella who now spoke up. 'Well of course you wouldn't have seen them coming, Alice,' she said matter-of-factly. 'They were surrounded by wolves.'

Alice didn't look convinced. Instead she shook her head faster. 'Once they decided to take even one step in our direction, I should have seen it!'

Alice's blatantly self-directed annoyance bugged me. If she had have conceded, like Bella, that her lack of vision was only normal, I wouldn't have spared it a second thought. As it was, Alice was _convinced_ that she should have seen the Volturi heading towards La Push. Though I knew it was illogical, perhaps even unfair, her guilt seemed to provide me with a valid reason to blame her. If Alice had warned us as she should have, then Alec, Jane, Felix, Demetri… they'd all be dead.

Good riddance to them.

_You're just looking for someone to blame_, Seth thought quietly. It wasn't an accusation, but a plea for me to understand.

I knew that he was right, but it did nothing to ease my anger.

'Alice's vision aside, why was Demetri separated from the rest of them?' Edward asked. 'It just doesn't make sense.' He sounded frustrated, like he was trying to complete a puzzle without a picture on the box to guide him.

There was a moment of silence as each Cullen absorbed themselves in Edward's question. Emmett – the largest of the bloodsuckers – was the one to break it. 'The cliffs would have been covered with our scents after the wedding!' he said excitedly, apparently convinced that he'd just solved all of our problems.

Jasper raised his eyebrows at his brother and spoke. His voice was soft but hid none of its firmness. 'Demetri is a tracker. He hardly needs to follow anyone's _scent_.'

'Demetri can only track a person's mind once he's met them,' Carlisle murmured, still engrossed in whatever thoughts were running through his head. 'Perhaps, he was after a particular scent… one belonging to someone he hasn't yet met.'

Carlisle had barely finished speaking when Bella gasped. 'Charlie!' she exclaimed, her voice full of panic.

Jacob looked stunned. Small, unthreatening, tremors ran down his spine. Sam's eyes narrowed, but otherwise he showed no reaction to Bella's comment.

'Think about it,' Bella continued through gritted teeth. 'Last time the Volturi was here, we _embarrassed_ them! Especially my gift… It put Jane's and Alec's to shame! If they were after revenge, what better way to do it than through Charlie?'

She stood up from the couch where she was sitting and moved rapidly towards the door. When nobody followed her, Bella turned around, her eyes pleading with her family.

'The Volturi aren't after Charlie, Bella,' Jasper said evenly.

Both Bella and Jacob turned to glare at Jasper.

'You don't know that!' Bella said menacingly.

Edward walked over to take Bella's hand. 'Charlie's at the reservation with Sue,' he said, glancing at me. 'He'll be fine for now. Anyway, Jasper is right. The Volturi don't work like that. With no strong emotional bonds of their own, the Volturi do not seek to revenge a coven through emotional damage.'

'I don't know, Cullen,' Jacob said. 'From where I was standing last time, those vamps certainly seemed pissed off enough to me to seek revenge.'

'I never said that they wouldn't seek revenge,' Edward replied, 'just not through Charlie. The Volturi envy our coven, certainly, but in their minds, the only way to exact revenge on our coven is to remove our gifts. They fear the loss of their own gifts, and so to them, it is the only way.'

Alice walked over and took Bella's free hand. 'And,' she said smiling, 'they won't even attempt that for at least another century or two.'

Bella's lower lip trembled, but for the moment, at least, she seemed content to stay and hear out the rest of the Cullens' theories. I was eager to hear them, too. It didn't make sense to me that the leeches would be after Charlie. Not when it would be so easy to find his scent in Forks.

The room lapsed into silence again. I turned to look at Jared. He was sitting, motionless, on Sam's right hand side, acting only as a mode of communication between Sam and the rest of the pack. No emotions flashed across his brown face. Like Sam, he was all business.

The way that I should have been.

_I bet that Sam's pack isn't enjoying this half as much as we are!_ Embry thought, jokingly.

Quil joined in, his thoughts playful. _Yeah, we get to watch what's going on with added commentary – courtesy of Leah Clearwater_!

Quil was quick to get over feuds. I kind of liked that about him.

Edward's quizzical glance in my direction brought me back to the Cullen's lounge-room. He continued to look at me for a moment longer and then turned to watch Jacob, his eyes still curious.

Jacob's head was cocked slightly to one side as he spoke, 'Any ideas why he left Leah alone? She wasn't even in her wolf form.'

All eyes flashed towards me. Edward answered their unspoken thoughts, 'Leah was up on the cliff where Colin found Demetri's scent.'

'What?' Sam exclaimed. His face had, for the first time tonight, lost its composure. He wheeled around to face me, looking wildly angry. 'What were you thinking, Leah, going up there with vampires around?'

_Thanks a lot, Jacob. You great, big, stupid moron!_ I thought furiously. I knew that Sam's anger stemmed from his fear for my safety, but that knowledge acted only as a catalyst for my own anger.

'Chill, Sam! It's not like Leah had any idea –'

A sharp whine from Jared cut Jacob off. At the same time, I smelt the fresh trails in Seth's, and then in Quil and Embry's, thoughts.

'The wolves have picked up the trails again,' Edward told everyone, 'nearly two hundred miles East of Forks. They're fresh – less than an hour old.'

Jacob, Sam, Jared and I simultaneously lurched towards the door.

Carlisle's voice, however, stopped us momentarily. 'Wait, please.'

I doubted that Sam and Jacob would have stopped to listen if it hadn't have been Carlisle talking.

He continued while he still had their attention. 'The Volturi did not come to attack anyone… not yet anyway. If that was their intention, they would have done so already. We have no idea where or to whom they might be leading your packs –' Sam opened his mouth to interrupt, but Carlisle continued, '– I understand your need to defend your territory, and you have our word that we will stand by you if it comes down to a fight. But you must make sure that this is a fight on your own terms. Wait for them to return to La Push and then attack. Whilst their intentions are still unknown to us, and the fight is on their terms, you and your brothers are in danger.'

I growled. As if Carlisle's ignorant pep talk was going to stop us. Once a vampire stepped foot on our land, our decision was made. We would chase the leeches for all they were worth and then end this once and for all. The Cullens wouldn't come with us; that much was clear. We had risked our safety time and time again for their coven, but when it came down to the wire, we wolves were on our own.

Go figure.

I could tell that Sam's thoughts mirrored my own, but Jacob's expression surprised me. He was torn. His eyes flashed rapidly between the Cullens and the dark night outside where the rest of our pack ran with one mind, chasing after the new trails.

Finally, he sighed and turned to me. 'Tell the pack to return to La Push.' Then, nodding at the Cullens, he ran off into the darkness to phase.

I stared after him in disbelief.

'You heard Jacob,' Sam snapped at Jared. Without the support of our pack, Sam knew that he couldn't maintain the chase. It was simply too dangerous. Clearly seething with anger, he ran after Jacob without another word. Jared turned and followed.

Another furious growl ripped through my teeth as I faced the Cullens. The fur bristled on my neck as I backed away slowly. Then, turning abruptly, I followed my leader into the darkness.


	4. Save Me From Myself

_I watch Colin through my bedroom window as he approaches the house. His steps are too slow, too cautious. I know why he's here, but as hard as I try, I can't seem to locate the reason in my swirling thoughts. I open the door before he has a chance to knock._

_What I see makes me feel as if I have been hit in the stomach. I want to keel over and clutch my abdomen. The shock is too much._

_Not Colin._

_It never was Colin._

_Harry. My father, Harry._

_My body doesn't respond to the confusion that I can feel slowly suffocating me. It leans back and my arms cross over my chest. My eyes narrow and I open my mouth. The voice that comes out is mine, but the words make no sense._

'_What do you want?' I ask. Why am I saying this? _Dad, _I want to cry out. _Dad, I love you._ But I can't get the words out. I don't understand why I am standing here like this. Why won't my arms wrap around him like I want them to?_

_Harry opens his mouth to speak and the voice belongs to Colin. 'I came to apologize, Leah. I followed Demetri's scent towards the cliffs, but then I discovered the fresher trail leading back to the forest. I should have continued to track the older trail, but instead I turned to follow the fresh scent. If I'd know you were up there, Leah, I would have made sure you were alright.' Harry hangs his head in shame._

_I don't absorb the meaning of his words. I am still trying to hug Harry, but my arms won't move. _

'_Don't be stupid,' I snap at him. 'Any one of us would have done the same.' _

_I don't understand who is choosing my words. They are familiar and I feel as if I should recognize them. Why am I snapping at Harry?_

_My mouth opens again and my eyes narrow further, the way that they do when I am angry. I don't know why I am angry. 'Did Sam put you up to this?' I ask._

_Harry's sheepish glance is confirmation enough._

_A sandy-coloured wolf joins Harry. Seth! Where did Seth come from?_

_I try to ask him, but the wrong words come out._

'_Interesting company you keep,' I say, glancing at Harry. This time the voice is not mine, though it escapes from my lips._

_Horrorstruck, I slam the door in their faces and lean against it, breathing heavily. I look down in alarm at the dark grey cloak that envelops my figure. I hesitantly reach towards my head and feel the hood that adorns it._

_Harry is knocking on the door._

_I scream._

(*** * ***)

I woke without opening my eyes. I knew that if I opened them, my dream would be lost forever to the dark and mysterious corners of my mind where unconscious thoughts lay dormant and hidden. Instead, I allowed my mind to linger on the details of the dream in a futile attempt to immerse myself once more in a world of make-believe.

My dream had been an almost perfect replica of a conversation that I'd had with Colin a few weeks ago.

_Almost_. The single word had changed my nightmare into a dream.

I didn't care that my dream had forced me to relive the torment of Sam's protective anger, or that it had dressed me in the Volturi's robes and made me speak their mocking words. I would bear it all again for the chance to see my father once more.

Harry's face had been perfect and familiar in my dream – clearer than I remembered seeing it in the year since his passing. A single tear fell into my pillow as I clutched at the memory. It was too late. I could already feel the dream slipping away.

A quiet knock sounded on my bedroom door. Unexpected waves of hostility emanated from me as I recognized the sound that had woken me. The sudden potency of my fury stunned me for a moment before my mother's soft voice dissolved my anger.

'Leah?' The door opened slightly and Sue peered in. She looked almost fearful.

A surge of guilt replaced my hostility as I read Sue's expression and scooted closer to the wall to make room for her. I couldn't remember the last time that my mother had looked at me without trepidation in her eyes. Sue could never tell when I was going to fly off the handle. Hell, I couldn't even tell anymore.

I propped myself up on my elbows as Sue walked over to my bed. She sat down next to me and, with one hand lightly rubbing my leg, she looped a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

'How did you sleep, Baby?'

Baby. As far back as I could remember, it had been Sue and Harry's pet name for me.

My mother's words swam together in a sigh of surrender. I wanted to know why she felt that she needed to surrender. It bothered me that the thoughts I was once able to guess at so easily were now a mystery.

'Fine,' I mumbled. 'What's the time?'

'Just after eleven. It's about time you had a decent sleep.' Sue's smile was sad as she continued to rub my leg.

I wanted to comfort her, to put into words the depth of my sympathy. Everybody was brittle today. But how could I comfort her when she wasn't the only one that needed comforting?

'Leah,' Sue began slowly, her eyes on the floor, 'Charlie called earlier. He's invited us for lunch over in Forks. You, me and Seth.'

'You, me and Seth…' I repeated after her. I was too shocked to say anything else. I had tried my best over the last three months to ignore Sue and Charlie's relationship. It was easier for everybody if I just accepted their friendship. But there was no escaping my emotions now – not today, when a mother and her two children should have been grieving the loss of their husband and father.

'I can't,' I said. 'Jacob needs me to run patrols today.'

Hostility, stronger than before, threatened to overwhelm me. I could see it, smell it; I could hear it and taste its venom on my tongue. I needed a drink; the malice was burning my throat.

Without looking at Sue, I threw myself from the bed and ran to the kitchen. My hand shook violently as I tried to pour some water into a glass, sending drops dancing across the counter.

Sue's voice behind me made me jump. 'Harry was Charlie's friend, too, Leah.'

I spun around to face her, shaking my head wildly. 'Jake… patrols…' I spluttered. What else could I say?

'Jacob came around earlier, Baby. He was very understanding, all things considered – said that he could manage without you and Seth today.'

A sharp pain pierced my hand as the glass I was holding shattered in my grip. As I watched, the deep cuts into my flesh healed themselves. My healing ability never ceased to amaze me – even now. Blood continued to drip onto the floor, staining the tiles with my disgust.

I didn't understand how Sue could ask this of me – how could she when she _knew_ that it would cut at me? Did Harry's death mean so little to her that she could commemorate it so casually with her newfound replacement? I gritted my teeth as bile rose like a flame in my throat. In this moment, I didn't care that I was hurting Sue. I didn't care that she would suffer from my actions the way that I was suffering from hers. In a sick way, I wanted to hurt Sue – I wanted to make her feel just a fraction of the guilt that had been silently eating away at me since my father's death. I knew that I would regret it later but since when had that ever stopped me?

Sue and I lifted our eyes from my bleeding hand at the same time. I glared at her, trying to convey everything that I felt in that one stare. I glared until the tears that I didn't know I was crying obscured my vision, and she stared back, her own salty emotions falling gracefully down her cheeks.

I couldn't watch my mother crying, not when I was the cause of her pain. I couldn't watch her tears, but I couldn't bring myself to wipe them from her eyes either. I did the only thing I could do – I left her standing there and I walked away.

I knew exactly where I was going. There was only ever one place that I was going to spend my day.

I reached the jetty in less than half an hour. Harry's small tin boat was tied securely to its edge, floating contentedly on the water's surface and bumping occasionally against the old tires that lined the pier. Though it had been months since I'd last taken the boat out, stepping into its humble embrace was familiar and comfortable. Slipping easily into an old routine, I pull-started the small outboard motor and untied the knot that anchored the boat to the jetty.

And then I was flying.

Jacob and Seth had worked together on Harry's motor a couple of years ago. Considering its small size, the thing now held a lot of hidden power. I crouched at the back of the boat, gripping the motor's tiller tightly. Right here in this boat, skimming lightly across the ocean's surface, is where Harry had always belonged.

The air burned my eyes and made them water as I sped through its caressing fingers. My hair billowed out behind me, twisting and tangling itself into a hundred small knots. I slowed the boat to a stop a couple of miles from the shore. Then, stepping lightly to the front of the boat, I sat on one of its wooden seats and stared out at the horizon.

'Hey Dad,' I murmured. 'It's been a year since you left, you know...' I trailed off awkwardly, feeling slightly foolish. 'Mum, Seth and I – we're all doing fine. You don't need to worry about us wherever you are.' I paused and then, unable to stop them, I allowed a fountain of words gush from my lips. I told Harry how angry I was at him for leaving me – how the pain of his parting still reflected in my every smile. I sobbed as I choked out an apology for the part I'd played in his death. I told him how I blamed him for keeping the pack's secret from Seth and me – how, if he'd only warned me and allowed himself to see past his stupid preconceptions, he might still be alive today. I screamed and poured out my grief and my guilt to the unforgiving ocean, praying that the waves would carry my tears to my father.

When my throat began to ache from screaming and the anger began to drain away from my weary limbs, I told Harry about the Volutri. I told Harry how Jake still refused to chase after them, and how Sam had begun to agree with Jacob – over the last few weeks, their trails had constantly teased our pack on the edges of our territory and yet, under our leaders' commands, we were restricted in our attack. I told Harry how even the Cullens were at a loss to explain the Volturi's motives and how everyone but me felt that pursuing their tracks would only lead us into a trap. I told him how we were playing a deadly game of Russian roulette, with neither party willing to make the first move.

Eventually, when my words began to blend together incoherently, I stopped talking. There was still so much that I wanted to say, but it was getting late. With my enmity slightly abated, I knew that I should go home to Sue.

'Bye Dad,' I whispered. I took a deep breath through my nose and it caught in my throat.

That was when I smelt him.

I twisted around in my seat, one hand grasping the side of the boat and the other gripping the wooden bench that I sat on. I could feel the wood in my hand splintering. The vampire smiled in amusement as a small piece of the seat broke off in my fingers.

He sat at the back of the boat, next to the motor. His hair fell in dark, ebony waves around his face. As I'd come to expect of all leeches, his chalky olive features were perfect – strong lines defined his nose and jaw. His wet clothes clung to his body, emphasizing his hard, lean build.

All this I would have noticed, if not for his eyes. Strikingly crimson, they stood out from his features and told the story of a million hideous deeds. I recoiled from their horrifying intensity.

I allowed a feral snarl to rip through my teeth as I tensed for his attack. _Stupid_, I told myself. _So stupid to come out here._ There was nowhere for me to run, no way to escape. The blood-suckers had always had the advantage in the water – I knew that. I didn't know whether to phase or not. It was death either way. On the one hand, if I phased, I could alert my brothers to the situation. They would attack the Volturi and avenge my death. Immediately, as the thought ran through my mind, I rejected it. I wouldn't let Seth live my death as he watched it through my thoughts. No, I would die human.

In that moment, I knew just one more thing. I would die fighting. Though I knew I wouldn't make a dent in his granite skin whilst in my human form, my pride demanded that I do _something_. I allowed my muscles to coil, ready to spring.

His voice brought me up short. It was the same voice that had issued from my lips and haunted my dream earlier this morning – the same voice that had mocked our pack so arrogantly that night in the clearing.

_Interesting company you keep._

Vicious fury painted my vision red.

The vampire's head was cocked to one side as he spoke 'At last we meet.'


	5. Life In These Little Boats

Demetri.

I recognized his scent; it burned my nose and cut harshly at my throat as I inhaled. Scorching flames licked at my spine as I fought to tame the violent tremors that racked through my body. I wouldn't allow myself to lose control. Not now.

I wondered how he would do it – how he would kill me. Would it be swift and clean, or would he draw it out, relishing in the perverse pleasure that my pain would unquestionably bring him? He was, after all, a monster – a beast led blindly by his savage instincts. I wondered if he would bite me and drink my blood, as he did his other feeble victims. I knew that to him, I would smell like an animal. A sadistic smile spread across my face as I realized how little I would satisfy his thirst. What a valiant last deed – to taint his tongue with the repugnant taste of my blood.

Demetri's eyebrows rose as he appraised my smile. Did he wonder at my sanity, or was he too consumed by his hunter's instinct to speculate on my lucidity?

A flash of movement, and Demetri was crouching on the floor of the boat, his arm extending towards my feet. I flinched away from his reach, repulsed by his sudden proximity. He froze, mid-action, his long, pale fingers grasped around the piece of wood I'd broken from the seat.

'Skittish, aren't you?' Demetri's blood-red eyes glanced up at me and he grinned.

Another flash of movement, and he was sitting in his original seat, absent-mindedly twisting the piece of wood through his fingers. He didn't drop his eyes from mine; he simply sat and smirked, waiting for a response. I clenched my jaw and stared back, determined to show no further signs of weakness. I could see how my fear would bring him pleasure.

Assured I had no reply other than a cold, loathing glare, Demetri broke away from our eye contact and began to study the piece of wood in his hands. A dark, dangerous chuckle broke from his lips.

'It wasn't easy, you know… to get you alone,' he glanced up quickly before dropping his gaze once again. 'It was much more difficult than what I'm used to.' His grin returned. 'Enjoyable, certainly… but still, it was difficult. I almost had you the first time. That night on the cliff? You remember, of course. I was careless, though. I sensed one of your pack mates heading towards me and I had to leave. Aro was mad, you know – said we'd exposed ourselves without meeting our objective.' He rolled his eyes, scorning the idea of failure. 'But I told him I'd achieve what I set out to do. And now look,' he looked up and gestured towards me. 'Here you are, gift-wrapped and everything.'

I couldn't help it. I instinctively knew that Demetri would enjoy my curiosity, but the question was on my lips before I had a chance to banish it. My voice was hoarse and hesitant. 'What do you want?'

I was right. Demetri had been waiting for me to ask. As his eyes lit up with satisfaction, I immediately regretted betraying my interest. This was a game to him, and I was allowing him to play.

'You and your brothers, as I am sure you are well aware, are of great interest to the Volturi.'

I inhaled sharply. Of course. It was so obvious – painstakingly so. The answer had been right in front of me – in front of all of us – the whole time.

'You want a guard dog,' I guessed, revulsion tracing jagged patterns across my accusation. Memories of Edward's words in the clearing rose like a tide in my mind. My realization was accompanied by a wave of both selfish pleasure and uncontained horror. Pleasure, because, though I would die tonight, I would die denying the Volturi of what they so desperately desired. Horror, because their ambitious plans would not end with me. I would refuse, and they would move on to my brothers. Each breath of defiance would be chaperoned by death's clawing fingers. And when they too refused, my pack would be disposed of one by one.

As I closed my eyes, preparing myself to embrace the darkness, I hoped fervently that the Cullens would stand by my brothers. It was the very least that they owed us.

'We do not seek your servitude, no.'

My eyes snapped open at the bitter edge that was so subtly apparent in Demetri's voice. He was frowning for the first time.

Again, his words piqued my interest. 'What then?'

'We came here seeking your assistance – the assistance of any one of you, I suppose… but yours in particular.' Demetri cocked his head to the side and watched me through narrowed eyelids. A strange array of confusion and agitation flickered across his features.

'Why mine in particular?' I asked him. It surprised me that my voice sounded noticeably stronger. Demetri's answer changed nothing. I would assist the Volturi no more than I would become one of them. But, if Demetri was going to keep answering my questions, then I was going to keep asking them.

His voice was suddenly cold and harsh, a striking change from the soft, threatening tone he'd used until now. 'It seems only logical that you would be the easiest wolf to convince,' Demetri began. 'One of our coven senses _relationships_. Our meeting last year led him to believe that you are not as… tightly bound to your pack as the rest of your kind are. Or rather, they are not as tightly bound to _you_.'

My grip on the edge of the boat tightened; I could feel the fragile metal molding willingly to my fingertips. I wasn't prepared for this. I had braced myself for a physical attack, leaving my emotional defenses delicate and vulnerable. In the company of my brothers, the walls I'd built around myself were my constant companions. But out here, I'd never dreamt I would need them. Who was this vampire that he could so easily cut me with his words?

In a second, I was standing on my feet. A low hiss ran through my teeth as I threw myself towards Demetri. The boat rocked precariously as he stood to meet my fiery rage. I cried out in furious humiliation as he locked his hands around my wrists and held me securely from his body. Still I pushed against his iron grip, trying vainly to beat my fists against his stone chest.

'How dare you, you dirty, blood-sucking leech!' _How dare you come here and prey on my fears! How dare you confirm what I already suspect!_ Sure, Seth wanted me around; some insane blood-bond dictated that he did. I had hoped that the same could be said for Jake. But the rest of my brothers grieved my presence in the pack. Jared, Embry, Paul… Sam – they had never welcomed my place in our tribe's legends. Regardless of what he said, Sam felt nothing but relief when I walked away from his pack to follow Jacob.

'There are others out there like you, you know… other shape-shifters.' Demetri's voice, unfazed by my outburst, was soft once again.

His words were not what I had expected. I had no strength left to resist the confusion that replaced my anger. I stopped fighting. Demetri let my wrists fall from his grip, and I stumbled backwards, allowing myself to sink back into my seat.

Demetri's gaze was cautious as he watched me. Finally, he, too, sat back down. 'Clearly, the loyalties of your pack lie with the _Cullens_,' he said, spitting their name at his feet, 'but, these _others_… my coven is intrigued by their existence. We wish to learn from them.'

'You want to own them the way that you can never own us,' I whispered. My anguish for the unknown pack tightened around my stomach.

'We will contact them, with or without your help, Leah.'

I bristled as Demetri's lips formed my name. 'You think that I will willingly play a part in their condemnation?' I asked.

He arched one ebony eyebrow; his eyes beneath were large and falsely innocent. 'Your opinion on my coven is well-shaped. I marvel, though, at how informed you truly believe you are.'

'Are you claiming that I am ill-informed?' I challenged. 'You are yet to deny even one of my assumptions.'

I watched Demetri's reaction carefully. He shrugged – a perfectly-portrayed attempt at nonchalance. 'If you will not offer the Volturi your assistance, then why should it matter to me whether or not you believe our intentions to be honorable?' he countered.

I sniffed loudly, contemplating his words. I allowed my gaze to wander. The ocean was calm tonight, a flawless mirror to the moon's silver reflection. I was ashamed of the questions that ran, untamed, through my mind. I would never – could never – work with the Volturi, and yet I found myself intrigued.

I voiced just one of my queries, ignoring the guilt that flowed silently through my limbs. 'Let's say, for argument's sake, that I was to _assist_ a bunch of blood-suckers in their quest to locate an unwary group of shape-shifters… What then? How would _I_ help _you_ – a tracker no less – to find _them_?'

Demetri's grin returned, more menacing than before. '_You _would leave the tracking up to _me_,' he replied. 'And then, since your kind doesn't take too kindly to vampires, _you _would act as our interpreter, so to speak – help us to gain their trust.'

I opened my mouth to scoff at his suggestion. As if I would convince another pack to trust the same leeches that I hated so explicitly.

But Demetri wasn't finished. 'Their leader,' he continued, 'is rather… Well, let's just say that she will be tough to convince on our own.'

He had played his last card. He had saved his ace of spades until last, and he threw it onto the table with a flourish.

'She?' I asked reluctantly; the hauntingly impossible word tasted like fire on my tongue.

Demetri didn't reply, but watched me shrewdly as if he'd been expecting my reaction to the word. Unbidden, thoughts of meeting another female shape-shifter flooded my mind and overwhelmed my ability to think. How many times had I dreamt that I would finally understand my fate – finally understand why, when the rest of my pack were males, I had become what I was?

I looked into the tracker's daring, crimson, eyes. From the moment he'd found me, I had never really had a choice.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for all the reviews! I absolutely love reading your comments!<strong>

**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'm really starting to love these two characters :)**

**Let me know what you think Leah will/should do :)**


	6. Steer

He sat, cold and unmoving, his eyes never once leaving mine. I don't know how long we remained as such – Demetri, taunting me with his gaze, and me, wanting to look away but knowing that to do so would be to grant him with a small, but significant, victory. Instead I glared at him in defiance. Demetri seemed content to wait for my reply – time meant little to an immortal such as himself. He had not uttered a single word since his allusion to the foreign pack's leader, and I was using his silence to seize what paltry advantages I could.

The red of his eyes filled my vision, casting their bloody shadow on the thoughts that twisted their way into and out of my consciousness. I ached for the pack I'd never met – for their leader who I already considered to be my sister. The Volturi would strike them from behind. The pack would have no choice but to succumb to the leeches' ambitions or to stand and fight.

It would be death either way. It hurt my pride to admit it, but no pack would stand a chance against the Volturi's parade of supernatural abilities.

'No.' My lips, firm and unyielding, formed the word slowly. The refusal was double-edged, concealing within it a twin protest. I would not assist the Volturi, nor would I stand aside and allow them to wrap their cold, dead fingers around the throat of my species.

Demetri's statue-like figure relaxed at the sound of my voice. 'You will leave this boat with me or not at all,' he said. The words were detached – almost casual – but I perceived the threat behind them at once. Either I offered him my help, or he would kill me.

Several thoughts fell into place and I couldn't help but grin in response. The action felt odd; it twisted my features into unfamiliar patterns and shapes. Demetri thought he had me. But I was good at this – I'd long learnt how to conceal my thoughts behind an uncompromising poker face. The fear I felt was mine alone; I would not betray the emotions that tore at my insides.

Demetri's answering smile was a perfect reflection of my own. 'It would be a shame, really,' he sighed. 'Such a waste.'

My grin widened. 'You need me,' I declared confidently, audacity wrapping itself tightly around my words. The battle was not yet won, but small waves of triumph began to lap at my composure.

'As you need me.'

I barked a short, harsh laugh in response. 'Yes,' I conceded. 'But unlike you, I don't have a puppeteer manipulating my strings.' My reply threw Demetri for a fraction of a second, and I took advantage of his fading grin. 'You see,' I said, biting my lower lip in a show of contemplation, 'I find it hard to believe that you'd come all this way, bide your time in the shadows for _weeks_, only to end up killing me.'

'Like I said, it would be a waste.' Demetri replied, shrugging. His face was blank now, wiped clear of any emotion.

I contemplated whether I could pull it off. My plan seemed so undeniably obvious, not to mention riddled with gaping flaws. The simple knowledge that I had nothing to lose kept me from losing my nerve. I would not allow the Volturi to use me. But I would do my damnedest to use them.

'I can't help but wonder,' I began, clasping my hands together and bringing them to my chin, 'how far Aro is willing to go for my assistance.'

A small crease formed between Demetri's eyebrows. 'Go on,' he encouraged darkly.

'It will be just you and me,' I insisted, the boldness in my voice belying the turmoil I felt inside. 'No other leeches.' That way, after I'd warned the alien pack of their peril, it would be easier to kill him. Without their tracker, the Volturi would be powerless to seek out and manipulate the other wolves. I knew that carrying out my plan would not be as straightforward as it sounded, but I would have time later to refine it. I could deal with a difficult strategy. All I asked of my plan was that it was _manageable_.

My lips pursed as I waited for Demetri to respond.

'And?' he prodded, his face still expressionless.

'And we leave tonight – no detour to Italy.' I couldn't give Aro the chance to decipher my thoughts. I paused, worried that I'd given myself away. Demetri, however, gestured for me to keep talking. I took a deep breath and continued. 'You agree, and we have a deal. You will take me to the other shape-shifters and I will act as your _interpreter_.' A mocking edge hardened my voice as I pronounced the offensive title.

'Done.'

'What?' I demanded roughly, as my mouth fell open in disbelief. The simple, unexpected force of the word caught me off guard.

Demetri raised his eyebrows and shrugged, his hands spread out in front of him as if to indicate my ignorance. 'Of course we're going alone. The shape-shifters would hardly respond favorably to a whole coven of us. As for Italy,' he grinned, 'it's a little out of our way.'

I didn't trust his poisonous smile, but my decision was made. I would not turn back now.

'So what do you say?' Demetri asked a second later, arching his eyebrows twice in quick succession. 'Do you want to run away together?'

'Fine,' I muttered. When he put it like that, it didn't sound so appealing.

'Fine,' Demetri agreed, echoing my tone with a tantalizing smirk playing on his features.

( *** * ***)

The vicious growl of the motor sliced through the night's eerie silence as I maneuvered Harry's boat alongside the jetty. I cut the noise and motioned for Demetri to climb out. Guided by a shrewd, self-preserving instinct, I kept my eyes on him as I quickly threaded the boat's rope through a metal rung on the side of the jetty. As I followed Demetri onto the pier, the retreating silence returned to envelop us in its cloak.

'Walk,' I commanded, inaudible to any ears but his. Though I was sure nobody was nearby, I felt dangerously conspicuous with a blood-sucker at my side. I recoiled, grimacing in disgust, as I inhaled his scent; it was so much more potent without the wind to swallow its burn as it had when we'd been sitting in the speeding boat.

'Yes Ma'am,' Demetri replied with a short, swift salute as he began to walk towards the end of the jetty.

The relative volume of his voice, stark against the night's quiet murmurs, made me cringe. I glared at Demetri and snapped, 'Shut _up_!'

His answering chuckle evoked an angry growl from my bared teeth.

I had planned to collect a bag of necessities from the house before we left, but it didn't take long, walking alongside Demetri, for me to change my mind. I wouldn't lead the leech anywhere near my sleeping mother. He was already moving in the general direction of the house, taking long strides towards my home. Unease swept through me as I analysed Demetri's actions. He appeared to know exactly where he was going.

I stopped abruptly, waiting motionless for Demetri to stop too. He walked a few steps further before slowing and turning around to face me, a questioning frown forming patent lines on his forehead.

'Wrong way,' I hissed, making a quick decision and nodding towards a dark street that lay to our left. I felt guilty about leading him to Billy's place – knowing all too well what Jacob would say if he knew – but it was the only alternative I could live with.

Demetri raised one eyebrow, but didn't argue. He returned to my side and we started off down the street. He showed no visible signs of discomfort at being in my company, and that bothered me. I wanted to elicit the same complex rainbow of apprehension and revulsion inside of him that his presence roused inside of me. I wanted this leech to fear me the way that I knew he should. He was my natural enemy; my desire to kill him was perpetually engraved into the DNA of my every cell. I ignored the heat that began to run along my spine, so much more compelling now that we were on the land and no longer surrounded by the restrictive ocean. I needed to be patient. I would bide my time and I knew that, eventually, I would get my chance.

As we walked in silence towards Jacob's house, I allowed myself to contemplate the thoughts that, until now, had been so brutally forced back into the shadowy recesses of my mind. They flowed, menacing and dangerous, through the circuits in my brain, sending ripples of fiery anger surging through my skin. Demetri's earlier words rang in my ears. They had fulfilled their purpose and as hard as I tried, I couldn't banish them from my memory. Though his claim was far from being the driving force behind my decision, I couldn't deny that there were other benefits to leaving with Demetri.

The pack didn't want me, and I sure as hell didn't need them. I remembered running in the forest, a few weeks ago now, and scorning my cowardly desire to run away. I was finally leaving, but I wasn't running away. I was running _towards_ something. The difference meant everything to me. I would do everything in my power to save the unknown pack and the pain that I would leave behind was just an added bonus.

I was lost in my thoughts, and so it surprised me when we reached the Black's property so quickly. Jacob's scent was strong here and I felt suddenly hesitant as I turned to face Demetri.

'Are you sure –?'

He rolled his eyes in reply. 'You're going to have to learn to have a little more faith in my tracking ability, Leah. Like I told you before, none of the other wolves are anywhere near us.'

Apparently, Demetri's companions were creating a _diversion_ to keep my brothers away. I tried to swallow back my fear for the rest of my pack. If the blood-suckers so much as touched one of them…

As if guessing my thoughts, Demetri replied, 'Trust me, it would make no sense for us to kill them.' He made no effort to sound reassuring.

_Trust him_. Like hell I trusted him.

I turned away from his burning gaze and headed, through the trees, round the back of the house. 'The garage is this way,' I growled.

Jake's key was hanging in the ignition of his bike. I breathed a sigh of relief as I wheeled it out towards the blood-sucker who waited outside. Demetri's scent had painted conspicuous patterns all over La Push by now and this escape would, at the very least, prevent anyone from following our trail further.

I hitched my leg over the bike and gripped the handle bars. 'Get on,' I snarled.

Demetri bared his teeth in a wide, mocking, grin. 'You don't know where we're going,' he said smugly.

I glared at him for a moment longer before sliding backwards in defeat and allowing Demetri to straddle the bike in front of me.

'Hold on tightly, Sweetheart,' he taunted, lifting his arms ostentatiously so that I could wrap mine around his waist.

As if.

Putting as much space between us as I possibly could, I gripped the edges of the seat beneath me. Demetri laughed darkly as the motorcycle's engine roared to life.

And then the wind was yanking its fingers through my hair as we sped away from La Push.

Dracula and the wolf.

* * *

><p><strong>Holidays are over and I go back to university on Monday which means that my updates will slow down a little.<strong>

**I'll do my best to keep them coming fairly regularly, though.**

**Warm, fuzzy hugs to you all :)**

* * *

><p><strong>P.S. To everyone hoping for a LeahDemetri romance, this is my answering grin: ;)  
><strong>


	7. Demetri's Interruption

**Hey Readers,**

**I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter of And Yet Dusk Fades, but in the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with this. It's a short piece I wrote from Demetri's perspective earlier this morning. It's a little rushed but I hope you enjoy it all the same!  
>So here it is: Demetri's interruption.<strong>

**Oh, and let me know if you if you'd like me to keep writing from his perspective every once and a while, or if you prefer that I just stuck to Leah's.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Demetri<span>**

'Hold on tightly, Sweetheart,' I teased, lifting my arms pointedly to indicate the meaning behind my words. Not that Leah was the kind of girl to oblige – I knew that much, at least.

I chuckled as she made a show of sliding backwards on her seat, creating as much room as possible between us. Two could play at that game.

I kick-started the motorcycle and twisted the accelerator towards me, all in one swift motion. The wind snatched the last echoes of my laugh as I turned sharply from the property and picked up speed. By the time that the sleeping human inside woke up and registered the noise of the bike, we'd be long gone.

Then it was game on.

I rode at a speed that was over twice the legal limit, swerving in and out of traffic to the chorus of loud, angry honks. I would do whatever it took to pry this girl's fingers from the edges of her seat and force her to wrap them around my waist. She was stronger than I'd given her credit for, and though I felt the bike throw her from side to side, she never once let go. I laughed, though our speed swallowed the sound. There was nothing that I loved more than a challenge, and Leah was no exception.

While I rode, veering sharply at every opportunity, I considered the conversation we'd shared in the boat. Leah had a plan – that much was obvious – and it certainly didn't involve convincing the shape-shifters to trust us. Of course, if that was the aid that we truly sought, we wouldn't have picked Leah for the task.

She'd bought the story about Marcus's observations. Aro had assured me she would, yet I hadn't anticipated her reaction. The bonds that joined Leah to her pack were unusual, certainly, but in no way were they weak. I remembered the way Marcus described it to us – not friendly, exactly, but fiercely protective… the way a brother feels about his sister. It made sense, of course. In all the ways that counted, they _were_ her brothers.

I continued to amuse myself by trying to weaken Leah's hold on the seat over the course of our journey. I could feel the tension radiating from her body, but she would not yield.

Two hours later, I screeched to a halt in a dark Seattle alleyway. Still Leah hung on. Until I cut the engine and she smelt them. Springing from the bike, Leah flattened herself against the nearest dirty, white-washed wall. She turned to look at me for only a fraction of a second before whipping her head around to face the vampires that waited in the shadows. I watched a range of emotions flash across her eyes: betrayal, resentment, fear… They were difficult to distinguish through the hard, angry lines that were so severely engraved into her features.

I wanted to reassure her. Leah needed to trust me, though I knew that any trust she gave me would be dangerously misplaced. 'They're only here for a hand-over,' I told her gruffly, 'and then they will leave us and return to Italy.'

At the sound of my voice, Jane stepped forwards from the shadows, flanked by Alec and Felix. 'Well, well, well,' she jeered. 'It looks like the bitch decided to join us after all.'

Wrong choice of words, Jane darling.

Leah lunged towards her, her hands curled tightly into threatening fists. I anticipated what would happen next even before I grabbed hold of Leah's shoulder to restrain her. She crumpled to the ground, her face contorted with agony and rage. I barely heard Leah's yell before I was moving protectively in front of her.

I was on the ground immediately, diverting the full force of Jane's gaze away from Leah's crumpled body. Every inch of my cold, hard skin was on fire. My insides writhed and boiled against its restraint. My mind, so accustomed to focusing on a dozen different thoughts at once, was consumed by the pain. For an immeasurable moment, it was only thing in the world that existed.

I heard Leah stir next to me, and the noise drew me back to the surface. Though the pain still ate away at my thoughts, a small insignificant corner of my mind remembered where I was and what I was doing. With each second of realization, that corner grew larger, gaining strength as it lifted the corners of my lips into a victorious smile. The effort it took to smile was staggering. For a moment, I was human again – impossibly weak and struggling to lift a mountain above my head.

Jane intensified her gaze. I didn't know it was possible to hurt even _more_.But I forced my lips to comply with my stubborn resolve. The smile remained fixed in place on my features. It was the only way to beat Jane at her own game – my smile played its own tricks on her arrogant, but susceptible mind.

I could hear someone choking in the background.

'Enough.'

The word, uttered by Alec, was water to the burning fire that consumed my limbs. The blaze vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me cold once more. I was on my feet before my mind had even registered the welcomed relief. Felix was at my side in an instant. Only then did I realize that the choking I'd heard had been his deep, delighted laugh. Felix had made a game out of provoking Jane and I knew that he'd enjoyed watching her anger burn someone other than him. Almost as much as he'd enjoyed watching me taunt her with my smile.

'Nice work, Buddy!' he laughed, slapping me on the back. 'But then again, that's what you get for protecting the wolf.'

Leah didn't react, and that surprised me for a moment before my own anger flooded my mind.

I turned to Jane and spoke in a low, threatening voice, 'Do you realize how quickly she could have phased? We'd have been exposed in a second! Another foolish move, Jane, and her brothers will be onto us like that!' I snapped my fingers sharply, emphasizing my point.

Jane didn't reply, but her eyes narrowed dangerously in response.

Felix, not one to take anything seriously, simply laughed again. 'Jane's just sore because Aro's not allowing her to go to Egypt with you and the wolf!' he stated confidently. He turned to Jane grinning.

'Don't push your luck, Felix,' I muttered, grabbing the bag that was slung across his shoulder. I opened it and glanced inside. A phone, a laptop, cash, passports… everything we'd need to get us on our way.

We were travelling under false names, of course. With Bella's cop father, and the Cullens' hidden stash of money, it'd take no time at all for them to track us across the Atlantic. And they'd try too, once the pack found Leah's scent with mine.

I pictured the photograph of the attractive, dark woman inside Leah's fake passport. Aro had toyed with a few models before deciding that this one looked the most like Leah. She was beautiful – the kind of girl you saw on billboards every day. But, having met Leah in person, I had to disagree with Aro. Though she was just as beautiful as the girl in the photograph, the complex pairing of vulnerability and strength that played on Leah's features made her unlike anyone I'd seen before. She was enchanting. With one glance, she could seduce a thousand men. Then, with a cold glare from those same eyes, she could make a thousand men fall to their knees and beg for their lives.

I shoved the thought away as I closed the bag's zipper. It didn't matter anyway. The men and women at the airport would not notice. I walked over and straddled the motorbike for the second time that night.

'Get on,' I instructed.

I felt Leah climb on behind me, and without a backward glance, I rode away.


	8. Speed Feels Better

**Leah**

There was nothing to see through the dusted glass. Even the clouds that obscured the stars outside had been swallowed whole by the impenetrable darkness. I felt claustrophobic. As I rapped my knuckles gently against the window, I contemplated how, with a sharp flick of my wrist, I could shatter the glass. I could almost feel the cold air on my skin as I resisted the temptation to exercise my strength._ That wouldn't go down well with my fellow passengers_, I thought wryly. Then I laughed humorlessly as I considered that I was hardly the most dangerous thing on this plane.

Not that _that_ would matter to the humans. If only they understood the threats that lurked in the shadows of their picket-fenced world. It wouldn't make a difference if they knew; we freaks of nature would be all the same to their color-blind eyes.

At the sound of my laugh, Demetri turned his head ever so slightly to the right and glanced in my direction. Though I could feel the heat of his gaze on my skin, I kept my eyes fixed on the nothingness outside. I frowned. How could someone so cold have such a burning stare?

Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. I twisted around to face Demetri, lifting my right foot onto the seat so that I could rest my chin on top my knee.

'How did you do it?' I asked.

Demetri raised his eyebrows in response to my vague question.

I sighed crossly. I hated having to resort to asking him questions, but my curiosity would not be tamed. 'How were you able to smile? Last night, with the devil's little sadist-child?' I couldn't bring myself to call her Jane. It was such a mild, bland name; it hardly befitted the witch I'd met in the grey cloak.

Demetri snorted quietly. 'I suppose she is a bit of a sadist.'

My eyes widened impatiently. I couldn't make sense of the image in my mind: Demetri thrashing on the ground and _smiling_. Not a smile of enjoyment but of victory. I couldn't understand it – not when I'd felt the pain of Jane's stare for myself, if only for a second.

'It's an illusion,' Demetri shrugged. 'Hold onto that knowledge tight enough and eventually you learn to think about something other than the pain.'

'Eventually?'

'It comes with practice,' he grinned. 'Besides, provoking Jane whilst she tries to attack your mind tends to make her gift a whole lot more bearable – almost enjoyable actually.'

'I'll take your word for it,' I muttered, turning away from Demetri once again. _Practice!_ What more could you expect from a bunch of leeches?

After a short stop-over in Frankfurt, Demetri and I were on an airplane to Cairo, Eygpt. He hadn't told me any more than our destination, and I hadn't asked. Eventually, my questions would come. But for now, I was content to wait, fearing that my interest would only betray my silent scheming.

I barely heard Demetri's voice as he spoke quietly to my turned back. 'You'd better get some sleep… while there are still witnesses about.'

I pictured the impish grin that I was sure I would see if I turned back around to face him and growled under my breath. Demetri did have a point though – I didn't know how long it had been since I'd woken up to my mother's soft knocks on my bedroom door, but I could feel my eyelids becoming tellingly heavy. However, when I closed my eyes, memories of the previous night cast their shadowy threads across my mind, stealing away any hope of sleep.

**(* * *)**

_My ears, long adjusted to the sound of the motorcycle's deep roar, felt the deafening force of the silence as Demetri cut the engine. My arms ached from holding on so tightly to my seat. It was strange how the sudden absence of sound heightened my other senses. I smelt the leeches immediately. Without even telling my body to do so, I leapt from the bike and pressed my back against the nearest wall. Vehement accusation burned my eyes as they flashed briefly towards Demetri._

Fool!_ I told myself severely. I'd been so busy concentrating on my end of the deal that I hadn't even stopped to consider the possibility of deception on Demetri's side – not concerning this part of the agreement in any case._

_I jerked my head around to face his companions, hoping to evaluate my opposition and formulate some sort of a plan. How could I have been so stupid?_

_I heard Demetri's voice, but I kept my eyes on the others. 'They're only here for a hand-over,' he told me, 'and then they will leave us and return to Italy.'_

_I didn't even try to process his words. My guard was up and my instincts were beginning to assume control. I watched as three blood-suckers moved towards us, and I heard just one word from Jane's lips. _Bitch_. I threw myself at her, my muscles tensing for a fight. I didn't even stop to consider what I knew about her abilities; I was going to tear her pretty, little head from her body._

_The pain was a physical force that stopped me in my tracks and threw me to the ground. It burned my already burning skin, leaving a path of destruction in its wake as it ate away at my flesh. I was barely aware of the yell that broke from my lips. I couldn't remember who or why, but I was going to kill her._

_And then it was gone._

_I was shaking. I didn't know how much of that was an aftershock from the pain and how much was the prelude to my phase. I pushed myself to my feet. This was it; I could already feel the warmth creeping along my back. I was past the point of no return. Not that I had any desire to prevent my transformation._

_My eyes focused on my prey. Some part of me recognized that I wouldn't be able to move towards Jane without her incapacitating me once again, but my fury quickly silenced those thoughts. None of the leeches were looking at me; all stood motionless, staring at the ground near my feet. For a second, that brought me up short. My gaze instinctively followed theirs and for the first time, I noticed the writhing body on the ground before me._

_Demetri's back was arched into a cruel curve and his fists were grasping and scratching at the ground around him. Every inch of his body seemed to tell the story of his pain. Then, my eyes travelled over his face. His smile stood out in stark contrast against his thrashing limbs; it belonged to a different man – did not fit on the distorted body in front of me._

_My eyes lifted in disgust as I heard the loud, guffawing laughter from leech that I took to be Felix. Sick bastard. Only then did I notice Jane's expression. She looked livid. And as Demetri's smile grew in strength, her expression grew in darkness. It said a lot about my feelings for Jane that I began to silently applaud Demetri's efforts._

'_Enough.' Alec said as he placed his hand on Jane's arm. It was not a command, but Demetri was on his feet almost before the word had left Alec's lips._

_I recoiled as Felix leapt towards us. He gave Demetri an approving pat on the back and laughed. 'Nice work, Buddy! But then again, that's what you get for protecting the wolf.'_

_I barely registered the insult in his words. Protecting me?_

_Only when Demetri turned towards Jane did I realize what had happened._

'_Do you realize how quickly she could have phased? We'd have been exposed in a second! Another foolish move, Jane, and her brothers will be on to us like that!' His voice was low and angry – made all the more threatening by his failure to raise his voice._

_I had to hand it to Demetri – he knew what he was doing. I hadn't even realized that I'd stopped shaking. I couldn't remember ever resisting the urge to phase once I was that far beyond my own control. But by stepping in front of me and deflecting Jane's gaze, Demetri had distracted me enough to stop me. He had had no other choice. He was right: in a moment of bloodlust, I _would_ have phased and allowed my brothers to see and hear everything. Demetri was smart and he was quick. This wouldn't be nearly as easy as I'd hoped…_

**(* * *)**

I woke with a start as the airplane hit the runway. I wasn't sure when the memory had merged into sleep, but I was surprised to find that I felt well rested.

We took a taxi from the airport and arrived in less than half an hour outside an old, attractive-looking hotel. Demetri pulled an envelope from the bag that Felix had given him and handed it to me. I flinched as his cold fingers brushed against mine.

'There's enough cash in there to book a room for the night. Get some sleep and I'll be back to collect you in the morning.'

I nodded in understanding as I stepped out of the car. I didn't hear the taxi pull away until I stepped through the large, glass front-doors of the hotel. The air-conditioning inside the lobby sent comfortable tingles running across the surface of my skin.

I was unsure whose name to book the room under, but in the end I decided to use the fake name inside Demetri's passport. It was an almost physical relief to be away from him; for the first time since I'd met Demetri, I allowed my muscles to relax completely. I even managed a smile as I took the key-card from the woman at the desk and left to find my room.

The room was enormous and beautiful, though I'd asked for their least expensive suite. With no bags to carry or unpack, I loped immediately over to the large windows that faced the city outside. The view was incredible. The sky was painted red by the setting sun, and the windows of the surrounding buildings were beginning to light up. It was slightly off-putting to watch the sun setting; the different time zones meant that I hadn't seen the sun once since I first left the jetty in Harry's boat sometime yesterday morning.

Sighing, I turned around and collapsed on the extravagant king-sized bed. I saw the phone sitting on the bedside table out of the corner of my eye and groaned. I had to get this over with sometime, and I might as well do it without Demetri around to watch. I picked up the entire phone receiver, and placed in on my lap. Then, taking a deep breath, I held the handset to my ear and dialed the Blacks' home telephone number.

The phone was picked up on the fourth ring, but there was no accompanying voice.

'Jake?' I asked hesitantly.

I heard him exhale heavily before he answered. 'Leah? Where the hell –? Leah, are you okay?'

'I'm fine. Listen, Jake –'

Jacob's voice was anxious as he cut me off. 'Leah, where are you? What's going on?'

'I said I'm fine,' I snapped. 'Listen, I took your bike. It's at Seattle airport.'

'What?'

I was appalled at the sheepishness in my voice. 'Yeah, look I'm sorry, Jake. I needed to get away and –'

'No. Forget the bike, Leah. Where the hell are you? What were you doing with a filthy leech?'

'Of course your precious Cullens don't fit into that category,' I bit back. Jacob was such a hypocrite! I really didn't know how to explain myself to him, but I knew that, eventually, I would need to give him some sort of an explanation for my abrupt departure with Demetri.

'Geez, Leah, you know it's not the same. Where are you? Where is the bloodsucker?'

'That's none of your business, Jacob.'

Jacob's reply was furious. His voice shook dangerously as he asked, 'You're still _with _him?'

I didn't reply.

'Hell, you know what this means right? The bloody mind-reading leader is going to find out _everything _about our pack! Did you even stop to think about that? By reading your mind, Aro will have direct entry into all of ours! You would put the whole pack in danger? For what, Leah?'

I was stung by the accusation in his words. My voice was hard and cold as I replied, 'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jacob Black. For your information, I would _never_ betray the pack. I am not in Italy and I am not planning on going there any time soon.'

'You need to get back to La Push, Leah.' Jacob's words took on a severe commanding edge.

'No.'

'Leah –'

'I said no, Jacob. Tell Sue and Seth that I'm fine and… and tell them not to worry. I know what I'm doing, Jake. Just leave me be. Please.'

I slammed the phone down before he could reply. My hands were shaking, but it was a different kind of tremor. I wasn't in any danger of phasing. I pushed the phone off of my lap and lay down, my hands clasped behind my head. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to slow my breathing. What _was_ I doing? I didn't know, and the thought terrified me.

**(* * *)**

I was floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness when the sharp burn in my nostrils woke me. I bolted upright and locked eyes with the bloodsucker standing across the room from me.

'You ready for some action?' Demetri asked, his crimson eyes sparkling.

My eyes narrowed. 'That depends on your definition,' I replied. My voice was still groggy from sleep.

Demetri's answering smile looked somewhat excited. 'Something tells me that our definitions will be the same in this case.' He threw a small parcel in my direction and my hands instinctively reached out to snatch it from the air. 'I'll see you downstairs,' he added before turning and leaving the room.

I ripped the brown paper to reveal the contents of the package. Clothes. I held the T-shirt up in front of me disdainfully. It was your typical tourist purchase – orange with the word 'Cairo' written boldly across its front. The pair of shorts still folded in my lap were just as bad. I lifted the fabric warily to my nose. It didn't smell like Demetri, thank goodness.

I lifted my head as a brusque knock sounded on the door. Dropping the clothes, I walked over and opened it slowly.

A small, dark woman, clad in the hotel's uniform, waited outside with a large tray in her hands. 'Room service, Ma'am,' She said in rapid English.

The woman made to walk around me, but I took the tray from her hands. 'Thank you.' I replied, cutting off her entry.

I closed the door on her turning back and walked back over to the bed. Come to think of it, I was starving. Demetri must have ordered the food, but I didn't care. My stomach gurgled happily as I inhaled the warm scents rising from the tray.

I shoveled as much of the breakfast as I could down my throat. Then, standing up with an annoyed groan, I grabbed the clothes Demetri had left. I was wearing the only other set of clothes that I had, and they were beginning to smell slightly. I would have to buy some decent clothes later today because these were just plain ridiculous.

Fifteen minutes later, I walked into the hotel lobby, showered and grudgingly wearing the bright orange shirt. I had folded the sleeves over several times and knotted the hem near my belly. I heard Demetri's laughter before I spotted him standing near the front doors. I rolled my eyes irritably and walked over to join him.

'So where's this action?' I asked briskly. Now that I was clean and rested again, I was beginning to get a little excited. Thoughts of meeting the other wolves had been in the back of my head ever since we'd left the reservation, but now I allowed the thoughts to take centre stage in my mind.

'We've got a little time to kill before we go,' Demetri replied. 'You might as well do some shopping.' His voice quivered slightly as if he was holding back a laugh.

I scowled at him but didn't reply. As we stepped outside, Demetri pulled on a dark grey cloak and I grimaced at the memory of the entire Volturi guard meeting us in the clearing, dressed as Demetri was now. He led me to a small shopping centre down the road and waited outside whilst I spent a good half hour stocking up on any necessities that I thought I'd need.

When I met up with Demetri again, he had another taxi waiting. We stepped inside and within the hour it pulled up outside a considerably large property, bordered by a tall, white brick wall. Demetri paid the driver and he pulled away, leaving us standing on the curb outside the house that was only slightly visible over the obstructing wall.

'Now what?' I asked, more intrigued than I liked to admit.

'Now we wait.' Demetri replied. He paused for a moment and then began again. 'Listen, Leah, I need to tell you a few things before we go in. On the other side of this wall lives another vampire. We need his help to find the other shape-shifters. And… I think you're going to need to phase.'

I was taken aback by his words. Demetri wanted me to phase? My surprise momentarily overshadowed my disgust at his announcement that we were visiting another leech.

'What about my brothers?' I asked. 'If Jake is in his wolf form at the same time as me, he'll order me home.' I wasn't sure how much Demetri knew about Alpha-commands, but there was no way that Jacob would stop to listen before he forced me to return to La Push.

Demetri smiled smugly in understanding. 'Which is why we're waiting,' he said. 'My… tracking ability… allows me to sense where someone is based on the _tenor_, I guess, of their mind. When you wolves are in your human forms, your minds tend to have a different flavor compared to when you are in your wolf forms.'

I exhaled sharply as I grasped the meaning behind his words. 'You can tell whether Jacob and the rest of my pack are in their human forms?'

Demetri's short nod confirmed my guess.

'And Jacob is in his wolf form now?'

'No, not the alpha,' Demetri replied, shaking his head. 'Only one member of your pack has phased. He's heading out east of La Push. I'm waiting for him to move a little further away from the rest of the pack before we go.'

'Right…' I answered. My head was spinning slightly from the revelation. I hadn't really considered Demetri's ability until now. A brief silence followed before I spoke again. 'How can the bloodsucker help us find the others?'

Demetri's loud burst of laughter startled me. 'He had a small encounter with their leader a few years ago – left him scarred for life.'

'And he knows where they are?'

'Let's hope so.'

We settled into silence once again. My eyes kept flashing back to the brick wall. Eventually, Demetri's voice cut through the quiet.

'Let's go.' He leapt lightly over the wall before he'd even finished speaking.

I followed his lead, reveling in the feeling that accompanied my stretching muscles. We landed in a large, open garden, where a leech stood waiting for us. I unconsciously took a step backwards as I took in his appearance. He was extremely short and, unlike any of the other vampires I'd met, his features were rounded and almost _soft_. He looked harmless. My eyes moved over his plump figure and I gasped. Where his left arm should have extended below his elbow, there was nothing but air. The place where the limb ended was jagged and sharp, like the edges of a broken rock.

Demetri greeted the vampire cheerfully despite the terrified look on the short man's face. 'Salih! It is a pleasure, as always.'

Salih's eyes flashed to me and then back to Demetri. 'Demetri,' he said, nodding curtly. 'You have brought company, I see? May I ask –?'

'Salih, my old friend, let us not go through all these tedious pretences. You were eavesdropping, I am sure?'

'Then it is true? She is one of them?' The bloodsucker turned once more to look at me. His scarlet eyes flickered in their sockets, making Salih look slightly maniacal.

'Everything is as you heard.' Demetri replied. His voice was no longer friendly.

There was no warning. One moment Salih was staring at me and the next he was lunging towards me, his right arm stretched out in front of him. I was a lot quicker. His groping hand closed around nothing but air as I leaped over his short stature. It was the first time that a leech had attacked me – physically at least – since this whole thing had started, and I couldn't have prevented my phase if I'd wanted to. It was a relief to be my wolf form once again. All the tension that had built up in my limbs flowed freely from my body as I landed lightly on all four paws and spun around to keep Salih in my sight.

There was a deafening crack as Demetri grabbed Salih's outstretched arm and used it as leverage to fling him into the brick wall. The wall was somehow still standing as Salih landed in a heap at its base. He was on his feet in an instant, his head whipping wildly from side to side as he searched for an escape. It was immediately clear that Salih was one to run rather than fight.

'And here I was thinking you were a hospitable man, Salih,' Demetri said in a low voice and he towered over the frightened leech. 'It seems that you haven't gotten over your last experience with a shape-shifter.'

A short, surprised bark escaped my lips as I put two and two together. Salih's missing arm… His reaction to me… It all made sense. At the sound of my bark, he cowered against the wall, shaking slightly. That was a first. I'd never seen a blood-sucker literally _shaking _before.

I caught the flash of movement as Demetri threw Salih a small, folded piece of paper with a pen clipped to it.

'Here's the deal,' Demetri said quietly, nodding towards the piece of paper. 'You write down where we'll find them, and we'll leave you alone. If you don't, or if we find out that you've lied to us, then we will return and Leah here will tear off your other arm.'

I growled. It was as much in agreement to Demetri's words as it was in annoyance at his antics. Sure, make the blood-sucker write it down on a piece of paper so that Leah can't see. So much for telling me to trust _him_ when he was so obviously against trusting me.

It was only then that I became aware of the voice in my head.

_Leah? Leah!_

_Seth?_

_Jake said you'd called earlier. What's going on, Leah? What are you doing with Demetri? _Seth's thoughts flickered curiously over the piece of paper that Salih was now writing on.

_Stay out of it, Seth_.

I watched as Salih handed the paper back to Demetri; his eyes were locked warily on me.

Demetri seemed satisfied as he glanced over the information Salih had written down. 'Right, now get inside,' he commanded, nodding towards the large house that, up until now, I hadn't noticed. He looked down at the bag of clothes that I'd dropped before phasing, and then he glanced back up at me. 'I'll see you outside in a second.'

I took the hint. Once Demetri and Salih were safely inside the house, I ignored Seth's protests and returned to my human form. I dressed hurriedly, feeling extremely uncomfortable about doing so in the leech's backyard. With a satisfied smile, I farewelled the torn orange fabric that littered the grass and flung myself back over the wall.

Demetri joined me less than a minute later. He handed me the small, folded piece of paper with a triumphant smile. Slightly confused, I opened it carefully and read the two words that were spelled out in elegant, looped handwriting.

_Thundering Smoke._

'Why –?'

'Sorry about the whole writing it down thing. I didn't want your brother to catch where we're going.'

'Thundering Smoke?' I asked skeptically. 'You gave him a heart attack and he gave us _this_? Are you kidding me?'

Demetri laughed. 'Firstly vampires can't have heart attacks, and secondly, _you're_ the one thatgave him the heart attack.'

I rolled my eyes. 'The only good thing about this piece of junk that he gave us is that now I get to go back and rip off his other arm.'

'As tempting as that sounds, I wouldn't call this a piece of junk. Salih is very… reluctant… to speak of his encounter with the shape-shifters. As far as I'm aware, he's never let slip the details to anyone. I doubt anything but your presence could have coaxed even this much out of him.'

'Okay then, genius,' I said, glowering at Demetri. 'Where exactly is this _Thundering Smoke_?'

'That, my little wolf friend, is what we're about to find out.'


	9. Ironic

_Mosi-oa-Tunya_

The large, bold letters, set against a faded, yellow background, caught my attention as Demetri and I walked out of the airport and into the bright Zimbabwean sun. My eyes lingered on the words for several seconds before being drawn to the smaller print that sat inconspicuously beneath the heading.

_The Smoke that Thunders._

It was such a beautiful name.

After typing 'Thundering Smoke' into an internet search engine, it had taken Demetri all of thirty seconds to discover the local nickname for Zimbabwe's Victoria Waterfalls. The smoke that thunders. The falls were named in appreciation of the loud, thundering cries of the water as it crashed into the rocks below and erupted in a thick cloud of mist.

Today, Victoria Falls was a busy township on the Western outskirts of Zimbabwe. Demetri and I had travelled on yet another long flight – this time from Cairo – and arrived, 19 hours later, in the small, Victorian Falls airport.

'Now what?' I asked, raising my eyebrows as I stared around at the relatively empty parking lot. We'd booked the flights to Zimbabwe without having made any plans for once we'd arrived.

'Now… I guess we follow the crowd?'

Demetri gestured towards the small group of people in front of us that were walking towards the yellow sign I'd noticed earlier. Only now did I realize that the words were typed onto a peeling sticker that adorned the side of an old, white minibus.

I fell into step behind an elderly, grey-haired couple, who turned their heads briefly to glance at us. A second later, the old woman did a double take and nudged her partner, whose shocked stare quickly became disapproving as he took in Demetri's appearance. A spasm of fear ran through me as the gentleman muttered something about 'the youth of today' to his similarly-appalled wife.

I peeked at Demetri out of the corner of my eyes. The hood of his cloak was pulled low over his eyes and his hands were shoved deep into his pockets. I couldn't read his expression. He didn't seem to have even noticed the stray comment, but I was suddenly afraid for the old couple. I could hardly blame them for their reaction – Demetri's outfit was bizarre – but insulting a vampire wasn't exactly the smartest thing in the world to do. I grimaced in disgust as I imagined what might have happened if I wasn't here – would Demetri have pulled them into the shadows and silenced their insults forever?

For the first time, I began to fully comprehend what this trip with Demetri would entail. The whole purpose of my existence was to protect innocent lives from brutal savages like him. What would I do when he decided that he needed to hunt? Would I be able to stop him? If I was to play my part convincingly, _could _I stop him? A cold sweat glazed my skin as horrific, bloody scenes flooded my imagination.

I hadn't realized that I'd stopped walking until Demetri turned around to stare questioningly back at me.

'I have another condition,' I breathed quietly, already certain of his reply. My voice shook slightly as I spoke.

Demetri waited for me to continue.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed the words to rush from my lips. 'I don't want you to hunt humans while we're here.'

'No deal,' he replied scathingly.

When I was younger, I'd never truly understood the meaning behind the phrase 'boiling blood'. Nowadays, the heat left by the angry, red lava as it ran through my veins was a near constant companion. I could feel it now as it coursed throughout my entire body.

My words were venom as I spat them at Demetri. 'Leeches don't need human blood. The Cullens live off animals for crying out loud!' I couldn't help the way that my voice hardened as I said the Cullens' name.

Demetri's tone mirrored my own as he bit back viciously, 'I kill every week in Italy, Leah. The fact that you're with me now does not make my habits any worse or any more real.'

I felt like I was going to be sick. What could I do? Threaten to back out of our deal? Demetri knew as well as I did that I wouldn't back out now – not when I was so close to what we both wanted.

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out. The driver of the minibus honked impatiently and Demetri turned away from me to enter the vehicle. I followed him. As he knew I would.

I wasn't going to let this go.

Inside, the bus was hot and stuffy. Demetri and I had to pack tightly against a dozen sweaty bodies as we stood in the overcrowded vehicle. A few uncertain looks were thrown our way but I ignored them, keeping my gaze fixed stubbornly on the dust-caked floor.

The bus's engine groaned as the driver pushed it above fifty. He drove recklessly, continually throwing commuters around as he swerved at the last minute to avoid the potholes which decorated the road at regular intervals. Though unsteady passengers frequently lost their balance and crashed into me, I held my ground, refusing to take a step backwards into Demetri.

The vast majority of passengers left the minibus in what appeared to be the town center and so, following their lead, Demetri and I climbed off amidst much shoving and pushing. The street was lined with small, thatched shelters where vendors sat beneath their shade and bargained with tourists. I stared at the faces of the locals, all of them beautifully chocolate brown and smooth. My eyes hesitated on the faces of the women. Any one of them could be like me – lost in a world of myth and legend.

Demetri was looking at me with a strange expression on his face. His lips were parted slightly and there a small crease on his forehead, like he was concerned and confused at the same time. I glared at him angrily. The direction of my thoughts had left me feeling vulnerable.

He looked away and began walking. His voice was loud enough that I could hear his words clearly. 'Let's find someplace to leave our bags and then we can discuss where to go from here.'

I followed him down the street until we reached a run-down but relatively clean-looking motel. It was painted salmon pink and stood out against the brown backdrop of the surrounding buildings. Demetri removed his cloak as we stepped inside – without the cloak, if you discounted the red of his eyes and the chalky paleness that overrode his olive skin tone, he looked almost normal. As normal as a leech _could_ look, anyway.

We rented out a room and were led up a narrow staircase by a tall boy who looked around sixteen. Once he was gone, Demetri shut the door and went to stand against the long window sill on the far side of the room. Light shone in through the open window and rebounded off of his skin, throwing sharp, glittering rays across the front of his light-grey t-shirt. My face screwed up at the sight as I went to sit on the bed that was pushed up against the opposite wall.

Suddenly Demetri spoke. 'You're not a fan of the Cullens,' he said. It was not a question.

'No,' I replied evenly, slightly taken aback by his abrupt statement.

'And yet you asked me to become like one of them? It seems a little ironic don't you think?'

I looked down at my toes. Choosing to ignore Demetri's question, I turned his earlier statement around on him. '_You're_ not a fan of the Cullens,' I said slowly, remembering the tone he'd used on Harry's boat when he spoke of them.

He smiled grimly. 'The Cullens defy our very nature.'

'You argue against them using their only admirable trait,' I countered.

Neither of us spoke for a few seconds, each lost in our own thoughts.

'You know what the really ironic thing is?' I eventually asked. 'It's that it's so much _easier_ to be around youthan it is to be around them… I can hate you in peace, without being made to feel guilty about it.' It was true – the honesty in my statement surprised even me. Back home, I couldn't think one bad thought about the Cullens without Seth or Jacob telling me how _unreasonable_ I was. _The Cullens aren't like that. The Cullens are nice. The Cullens are _good… It was enough to drive a girl insane. But here, with Demetri, I felt justified in my hatred.

Demetri's reply was colored with amusement. 'Well, that's a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one.'

My eyes flickered back up to glower at him. 'Take it for the insult that it is, leech!' I hissed.

A large grin lit up his face, but it was a few moments before he replied. 'The ease that you feel in my presence aside,' he said, 'what do you suggest we do about finding these other shape-shifters?'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Sure, ask me. It's not like you have a gift for tracking or anything.'

Demetri chuckled. I was getting used to the sound of his laugh. 'My gift has its limitations, as does anyone's,' he replied, shrugging. 'I have no doubt that I'll be able to find them, but since you're more of an expert in this area than I am, I'd rather hear your ideas… Besides, my methods might not be entirely acceptable to you.'

I cringed. If that was the case, then I really didn't want to hear about his _methods_. I was, however, a little surprised that Demetri had asked for my opinion. It was more than I'd expected.

'Well,' I began slowly. 'If someone came to La Push searching for _our_ pack, I'd suggest that they start with our tribal legends. Old stories and that sort of thing… the stuff that nobody actually believes in anymore. Most of the stories that are out there are pretty inaccurate, but they'd still point a person in the right direction.'

Demetri nodded. It looked as if he was going to ask me something, but at the last minute he thought better of it. 'I'll be back in a second,' he said promptly. The door closed behind him the moment he finished speaking.

I exhaled heavily. I hadn't realized that I'd been holding my breath. I barely had time to wonder where Demetri had gone before he was opening the door again and stepping back inside the room. In one hand he was clutching a large pile of colorful pamphlets; with the other, he held a heavy-looking book against his chest. A number of dog-eared pages – yellow-tinged and tattered – were visible sticking out of the book, the binding of which was falling apart.

I raised my eyebrows curiously as Demetri strode over to the bed and dropped half of the pamphlets into my lap. Then, placing the large book between us, he sat down at the other end of the bed and began to flick absent-mindedly through his pile.

'What are these?' I asked.

'A couple of tourist booklets that I grabbed from the reception downstairs. I doubt they'll give us anything concrete, but there's always an outside chance that they'll mention something about old Zimbabwean legends. I thought that we might start with these today and then speak to some of the locals tomorrow.'

I nodded. He had done exactly as I would have done, and that frustrated me. As the book that lay between us caught my eye again, I twisted my head around to read the upside down letters that spilled across its damaged cover.

_Victoria Falls: An Illustrated History_

Demetri answered my unspoken question. 'The girl at the desk lent it to me. It looks fairly promising.'

I reluctantly grunted my appreciation. Then, taking a deep breath, I picked up the first blue and white printed pamphlet and began reading.

**(* * *)**

I slammed the book shut with an irritated groan. Demetri and I had been sitting on the bed in silence for nearly two hours – poring over every brochure, dissecting every word of every sentence – and yet we had nothing to show for it. I had not found even one hint about wolves or shape-shifting humans in their pages. _Zilch_. Even the oh-so-promising book had revealed nothing more than Tongan legends of the Zambezi River God, the Nyaminyami.

Demetri was still sitting beside me. His eyes darted rapidly from side to side as he read the phrases that decorated one of the three pamphlets he'd laid out on his lap. He didn't react in any way to my impatient groan.

I threw my head back and dragged my hands across my face, pressing my fingertips into my skin. I was beginning to realize what an impossible task this could potentially prove to be. I looked at Demetri through the gaps between my spread-out fingers. 'Thundering smoke… the smoke that thunders? How do we even know that they're the same thing?' I asked him. In Egypt, Demetri had seemed so sure about coming to Zimbabwe. Of course, I had too – at the time, my hope had blinded me to the possibility of error.

'Salih spent a lot of time travelling in this area before he returned to Egypt minus one arm,' he shrugged. 'The information we found on the internet didn't really surprise me. I suspected as much. Salih's clue, though relatively inaccurate, was not altogether unexpected.'

I cocked my head to the side and frowned. 'When was he here?'

'Twenty-two years ago, give or take.'

I sucked the inside of my cheek as I milled over everything that Demetri had told me. 'You said that Salih hadn't shared the details of his trip with anyone,' I eventually said. 'Yet _you_ know that he was here… Is that because of your tracking ability?'

Demetri didn't reply.

'Can you –? Will you tell me how that works?'

He sighed. 'I'm not sure how it is for _you_, but vampires' minds are extremely multi-faceted. It's like having a mosaic of unrelated thoughts constantly throwing themselves around in your head. And yet, it's as easy as breathing – thinking about all those different things at once… When I think about someone I've met, some part of my mind automatically locates them. It doesn't matter where they are in the world; some part of me is always aware of _exactly_ where they are.'

I blinked, recalling Carlisle's words from what felt like years ago. 'And you have to actually meet a person? In order to find them?'

Demetri's head dipped in a brief nod.

I was more than a little confused. Demetri seemed reluctant to tell me about his gift, but not in the same way that I'd be reluctant to tell him about the dynamics of our pack if he decided to ask. It was almost as if he was gauging my reaction before carefully and apprehensively addressing my queries. He wasn't reluctant the way that he _should _have been. I wanted to keep assaulting him with questions – I didn't understand his ability nearly as well as I needed to if I was to outsmart and eventually kill him – but my stomach interrupted before I could continue.

Standing up, I snatched a wad of money that Demetri had given me earlier from my bag. I slammed the door behind me as I left the room without saying goodbye. I was still frustrated that we hadn't found anything in the brochures. Talking to the locals tomorrow would be a lot easier if we had some sort of idea about which questions to ask – we could hardly walk up to someone in the street and ask them if they transformed into a wolf in their spare time.

The street outside was quieter than it had been this afternoon. Vendors were beginning to pack away their merchandise, using the last of the sun's rays to count their day's earnings. As I walked past one stall, a small, dark woman jumped to her feet and stared at me with large, round eyes. I met her gaze, but instead of dropping her eyes in embarrassment at having been caught staring, the woman simply continued to watch my progress across the street. Her expression burned itself into my mind – it was slightly fearful, yet tinged with awestruck amazement. I jumped out of the way of a young boy who swerved across my path on a bicycle. When I turned to look back, the woman was gone.

I kept walking, though I couldn't push the memory of the woman's face from my mind. I found a small fish and chips shop a couple of hundred meters down the road, and walked out ten minutes later carrying a piece of fish and a bag of soggy chips. I decided to eat back at the motel; there were still a couple of chapters that I hadn't read in the Victorian Falls history book and I was keen to get started on them.

Demetri wasn't in the motel room when I returned, although the door had been left unlocked. I felt uneasy as my eyes swept the empty room. Demetri's earlier words echoed in my head. _I kill every week in Italy, Leah. The fact that you're with me now does not make my habits any worse or any more real_. My pulse throbbed painfully in my ears. I didn't know for sure that Demetri was hunting, but I wasn't going to take the chance. I dropped my dinner as I sprinted back out of the room. Now that I was paying attention, I could smell Demetri's trail leading away from the motel. It wasn't nearly as easy to track him in my human form as it was in my wolf form, but I made relatively good time.

I followed Demetri's scent past the fish and chips shop and down a dimly lit street; the trail was still fresh – only minutes old. I turned right about a kilometer later, and took just two steps down the road before I stopped dead. On the side of the road, about three hundred meters from where I stood, sat two teenagers. The boy and girl looked to be about seventeen or eighteen; they were sitting back to back, and the girl's head was thrown backwards onto the boy's shoulder. A smoking cigarette dangled from between the boy's fingertips. Both teens were unaware of the thirsty vampire that watched them from beneath the shadows of a nearby tree.

Demetri was closer to me than he was to them. Though alert to my presence, he didn't turn around when I walked up behind him.

'One move, leech, and I will kill you,' I threatened quietly. I wasn't bluffing. I didn't want to attack him – his knowledge and tracking abilities were still too valuable to me – but the reason that I was on this journey in the first place was to protect innocent lives. We were close enough to our goal that I would be able to continue on alone if I had to.

'I'd like to see you try,' Demetri hissed back. He still didn't turn around to face me.

I stupidly and instinctively grabbed hold of his forearm – as if my grip would be enough to stop him. Without having ever seen Demetri fight, I intuitively knew that he was a fighter. You simply had to watch the way that he carried himself to understand as much. I may not be able to beat him, but there was no doubt in my mind that my attack would inconvenience the Volturi. If nothing more, I hoped that that would be enough to stop Demetri.

I hadn't realized how tense he was until, at my touch, Demetri's whole body relaxed. I jerked my hand away as I realized what I'd just done; I could feel where the cold of his skin had seared mine. Demetri breathed in a long, slow breath. Exhaling just as slowly, he turned around and began taking long strides in the direction we'd come from. I hurried to catch up with him, falling into step at his side. I had hoped, but never really expected, that he'd give up this easily. The ease with which he'd abandoned his hunt made me suspicious.

When we passed the fish and chips shop a few minutes later, Demetri turned to me and asked, 'How was your dinner?'

I wondered if he knew I'd been to the fish and chips shop because of my lingering scent, or whether he'd simply sensed my presence there using his tracking ability.

'I dropped it,' I told him coldly, 'in my bid to stop you from hunting yours.'

'Seems only fair.'

I looked up at Demetri. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes twinkled with humor. He didn't seem at all irritated that I'd interrupted his attempt to hunt. His reaction put me a little on edge.

We were nearing the motel when he side-stepped and forced me to take a step through an open door that lined the footpath. I looked around at the room I'd entered. It was long and narrow in the extreme, and was bordered by a number of small square tables. It took me a second to realize that I was standing inside of a restaurant.

'We'll take a table for two, thanks,' Demetri said politely to a waiter who'd just walked up to us.

The waiter led us through the narrow room to a table positioned near the back. Both he and Demetri pulled out a chair for me. Pulling out a third with exaggerated force, I glared at Demetri and sat down. The waiter set two menus down in front of me, and then awkwardly pushed back the chair he'd pulled out and began to walk away. Demetri waited until he'd gone before sitting down opposite me.

'I figured I might as well feed you, seeing as you won't be leaving me alone anytime soon to go and get some more fish and chips.'

'Damn right I won't!' I assured him fiercely.

Demetri frowned and then said quietly, 'You can't watch me forever, Leah. Sooner or later you're going to have to sleep.'

It was almost five minutes later when I finally spoke. 'That's what I'm afraid of,' I murmured. The words tasted hot on my tongue.

**(* * *)**

'Rise and shine, sunshine,' Demetri sang quietly from where he stood, once again, by the window sill. His voice was so soft that I wondered if he'd really meant for me to hear.

I stirred – not that I'd actually slept a wink – and sat up. The book lay open on the floor where I'd shoved it off the bed sometime last night. Demetri and I had returned from dinner the previous evening to, once more, be greeted by a lack of useful information. I'd spent the last few hours lost in meaningless thoughts – the closest thing that I could get to unconsciousness without actually losing awareness of Demetri's whereabouts.

'The markets have been set up again outside,' Demetri told me. 'If we want to talk to the locals, then now is our best chance.'

I flung myself from the bed. I hadn't realized that it was already morning. For a horrible moment, I wondered if I had actually fallen asleep during the night. Trying not to make it obvious, I studied Demetri's eyes. They didn't seem any more scarlet than they had last night. I breathed a sigh of relief; Jacob had told me once about the whole drinking-human-blood-makes-their-eyes-redder thing.

As quickly as I could, I grabbed a change of clothes and slipped inside the bathroom. When I re-emerged only seconds later, Demetri was still standing where I'd left him. We exited the room together without another word. Like yesterday, the sun outside was shining brightly and, like yesterday, Demetri dressed in his dark grey cloak to avoid its rays. It was still early, and although the market stalls had been set up, the street was relatively quiet.

As subtly as possible, I studied the vendors as we walked along the street. They were all selling the same things: beaded jewelry, sarongs, key-rings, sunglasses… I didn't know how to approach them or what to say. More than that, though, it didn't feel _right_ speaking to them. They didn't hold the answers that we sought. I wasn't sure _how_ I knew, only that I did. I kept moving, hoping that something – anything – would draw my attention.

It took a few moments for me to realize that Demetri was no longer at my side. I spun around, searching for him in the crowd. It didn't take long for me to locate him – like a magnet, the darkness of his attire drew my eyes. Demetri was crouched down next to two young children; they couldn't have been more than five or six. One of them was clutching a handful of Demetri's cloak; the other was running her finger curiously across his cheek. I paused for a moment, watching them. Once again, I was struck by Demetri's discernment. Of course children were the right people to talk to. They were too young to scoff at old legends, and too naïve to understand their true meaning. I thought back to when I was a child – I would have gladly told anyone who'd listen about how Quileutes were descended from wolves.

I was about to walk over to Demetri when a woman standing a few meters behind him drew my gaze. Her stall was set up on the opposite side of the street today. Like last night, the woman was staring at me, the same fearful expression adorning her face – the face that I'd forgotten in my attempt to stop Demetri killing two innocent teenagers. Without instructing my legs to do so, I crossed the road and walked briskly up to her.

I looked down at her table for only an instant. The necklaces that lay there momentarily erased the words that I wanted to say. Hanging on each twisted, brown piece of string, hung a wooden pendant. They were carved crudely, although the image they depicted was still plain. It was the head of a creature: half lion – not wolf as I'd always imagined – and half woman.


	10. Painless

I couldn't decide whether to look at the woman or the pendants. Both held my attention and toyed with my untamed fascination. I picked up one of the necklaces, cautious and uncertain, and began turning it over in my fingers.

'How much?' I asked hesitantly. It wasn't what I'd meant to say, but this question was, at the very least, a lot simpler.

The woman didn't reply – she didn't appear to have heard me at all. She stared at me from beneath heavy eyelids, her clouded gaze looking for all the world as if it was directed at a photograph or a statue that couldn't stare back. Now that I was closer to her, I could make out the woman's features more clearly – she had short, frizzy hair, cropped close to her scalp; sunspots darkened her wide nose and cheeks, and her thick lips were puckered into a confused pout. Standing up, she was barely as tall as my shoulders.

I tried again. This time, my question was more to the point. I pointed to the face carved into the wooden pendant and asked, 'Can you tell me about this picture?'

I was suddenly afraid of what the woman might say in reply. Perhaps she would tell me that the face was simply a stray image she'd dreamed up in an attempt to earn her living at the markets; she certainly wouldn't have been the first artist to imagine such a depiction. I tried to be positive – to believe that she held the key to my desperate search – but life had long taught me the naivety of such optimism.

Nothing changed in the woman's expression. Once again, she kept quiet. Her eyes never once left mine. I reached out to touch her hand gently, trying to reassure her. _I'm on your side_, I wanted to say. I didn't understand the fear and bewilderment in her eyes.

The woman started, but when her eyes looked past me, I realized that it wasn't in response to my touch. I instinctively knew what it was that had captured her attention, and I spun around to greet him with an angry snarl. If she had been too afraid to talk before, then there was no way on earth that she'd speak now. Not with Demetri hanging around. _Especially _if she had something to do with the other shape-shifters.

Demetri ignored me and fixed his gaze on the woman. 'Hello Tendai,' he said softly. His voice was as gentle as I'd ever heard it.

I gasped audibly when he removed his hood. The dark hair that fell around Demetri's face shielded his glittering skin from the vision of other bystanders; but he made no attempt to screen it from the woman's sight.

'Are you mad?' I hissed. Of all the stupid things to do…

The woman's voice – Tendai's voice – stopped me from continuing. 'Hello,' she whispered. She didn't look at all surprised by the light that reflected off of Demetri's skin. The crack in her voice, however, betrayed the fear that she still felt. I couldn't make sense of the fact that she was speaking to Demetri at all.

'You have met someone like me before, I think?' Demetri guessed.

Tendai nodded. 'The angel of death,' she murmured. There was a subtle hue of reverence in her voice as she pronounced the title slowly.

'What?' I spluttered. That was why she was talking to Demetri? Because she thought he was a freaking _angel_?

Demetri held a finger to his lips to silence me. The movement was quick enough that human eyes would not have noticed it. Turning back to Tendai, he pressed, 'Will you tell me about him?'

Tendai chewed her lower lip for a second before nodding once more. Her eyes darted to me and then back to Demetri as she sat down on the pavement and gestured for us to do the same. Once Demetri and I joined her on the ground, she started to speak. 'When I was a young child,' Tendai said, 'people in my village began to die. It happened slowly – only one or two people every few months. They always died in their sleep. Children would wake up to find their parents dead in their beds, always with the angel's mark on their throats. We heard rumors of the same thing happening in surrounding villages. People began to blame the deaths on a terrible disease – the families of the dead were kept in isolation to prevent it from spreading.' Tendai's eyes glazed over as she immersed herself in the memory. I hardly noticed the gentle tremors that began to run through my body as I listened to her tale.

She took a deep breath and then continued. 'One night, I fell ill with a fever. I left my home to go and bathe in a nearby stream, and when I returned, my father was dead. I stared at him for a few seconds – he was extremely pale, but he looked peaceful lying there on the bed. It was then that the angel spoke. He'd been standing against the wall next to the door – quiet as anything – and so I hadn't noticed him before.' Tendai turned to Demetri. 'He had skin like yours and dark hair, but he was short, like me,' she told us.

''Hello,' the angel said. His voice was mesmerizing; I knew immediately what he was – no human had a voice like that. He asked me if the man on the bed was my father, and when I said yes, he apologized. He said that he would soon make me forget. I told him thank you. I was glad that he'd killed my father and I asked him to please kill me too.

'My reply confused the angel. He said that it was unusual for his victims to embrace death such as I had done. He wanted to know why, and so I told him. I told him how my father had killed my mother, and how since her death I had nothing left in the world that made me want to keep living.'

I frowned. Tendai's story, together with the evidence in front of me, did not add up with what I already knew about the blood-suckers. 'You're not dead,' I said bluntly.

Tendai reached out and brushed her fingertip against the necklace that I was still holding onto tightly. 'The angel thanked me for telling him my story,' she said. 'And then he told me that his decision to leave me alone was proof enough that I had something to keep living for.'

I shook my head in protest. It didn't make sense. Leeches didn't let their victims live just because they'd told them a _story_. Demetri placed a restraining hand on my shoulder as he read my reaction. I wasn't sure exactly what he thought he was restraining me from doing, but I huffed irritably, flinching away from his touch.

Demetri quickly drew back his hand and said quietly to Tendai, 'You told him a story about how your father killed your mother.'

His statement had been a prompt for Tendai to continue and she hesitantly obliged. Casting her eyes down towards the ground, Tendai told us another story. 'One afternoon, about a year before the angel visited our village,' she began, 'my father went out hunting. He used to go out every week, but he would often come home empty-handed. As a result, my family would go to sleep hungry. That afternoon, however, he brought back a large antelope – the largest he'd ever killed. Only, I overheard him telling my mother that it wasn't him who had killed it.

'He told her that it had been killed by a lioness and that when she saw him, she dropped her prey and ran away… Every week from then onwards, he would bring home enough food to last our family until his next hunting trip. It was the lion –she would bring him her kill, and he would bring it home for our dinner.'

Tendai squeezed her eyes shut and placed her head in her hands. Her voice was muffled and I had to strain to catch her next words. 'He called her his pet. A few weeks passed, and although he kept bringing us meat each week, he stopped speaking about the lion. If my mother mentioned her, he would change the subject. I was curious and so, one day, I followed him. I watched him from behind a tree. His lion came to meet him, as he'd always described, but instead of dropping her prey and leaving, the lion took on the form of a woman… I watched my father kiss her. When I told my mother about what I'd seen, she stopped speaking. Eventually she stopped eating. She became very thin and then one day, she fell ill. Within a week, she was dead... My father's affair had killed her.'

'You told all of this to Salih?' Demetri asked Tendai when she'd finished speaking.

Tendai lifted her face to look at Demetri. Her cheeks were tear-streaked. 'Salih?'

'The angel,' I said before Demetri had a chance to answer. There was a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt as if I knew Tendai's story better than I should.

For the first time, Tendai's voice hardened. 'I told him,' she said. 'And when he asked me questions about the lion-woman and her whereabouts, I answered them. I _wanted_ him to find her after he'd finished killing me. Like my father, she deserved to die.' A bitter smile spread across Tendai's lips. 'And now, like my father, she is dead. Thanks to my angel of death.'

I couldn't listen to any more. I leapt to my feet and took off towards a familiar street. I don't know what made me go there. Perhaps it was because it was the only place in this small town that I knew I could sit down and be alone. I didn't want to go back to the motel and this street was, at least, free of any markets. I sat down where the teenage pair had sat back to back last night. I could still smell the faint remnants of their scents.

I was breathing too quickly and my stomach clenched uncomfortably in response. I wished that I'd never spoken to Tendai. I wanted to feel numb and forget everything she'd told us. I had always believed explicitly – always known without a doubt – that we were right and they were wrong. Wolves were good and vampires were bad. The knowledge was as familiar to me as my own name. But now, I had met someone whose views – completely opposite to mine – were rooted as deeply into her mind as my own. In Tendai's eyes, shape-shifters were murderers. And vampires were angels.

It wasn't that her story had challenged my opinion – I still hated the blood-suckers as much as I ever did. But the honesty in her tale had forced me to see things from a different perspective. And that had led to something I'd never believed possible – though still set in my views, I could understand how she could hate us and love the leeches.

I picked up a rock and threw it across the road with as much force as I could muster. I hated feeling like this – I should have been strong enough to pull myself out of her tale and listen to it through detached and unbiased ears. Deep down, I knew that I wouldn't have understood Tendai's attitude if her story hadn't been so familiar. I _knew_ what it was like to lose a parent, and I _knew _what it was like to lose the man you loved to another woman.

Tendai's mother. _Harry_. Tendai's father and the lion. _Sam and Emily_.

In her story, I was both Tendai and her mother. I understood their individual pains more than anyone could ever hope to understand another person's hurt. I had thought that leaving with Demetri would allow me to escape the pain I'd left behind in La Push, but it had been nothing more than false hope. Tendai was wrong, but in her position, I would have felt and acted the same way: I too would have sent the blood-sucker after the woman who'd stolen my life.

Not for the first time, I wished that the world was as it seemed; I wished that people were normal and that the supernatural only existed in the movies. If the world was as it should be, Tendai would be happy and her parents would be alive and well. _I _would be alive and well.

The tremors that had started during Tendai's speech were still making their way along my limbs. They became stronger, shaking my body violently and bringing with them surging waves of heat that rose slowly up my spine. I fought for control, but I was rapidly losing the battle. I was furious with myself for allowing Tendai's words to get to me. Angry tears burned my eyes, but I didn't allow them to spill down my cheeks. I despised myself for being so weak and pathetic.

I was so lost in my fight to remain human that I didn't notice Demetri until he grabbed my hands with both of his.

'Leah,' he said firmly, crouching down in front of me. 'Leah, listen to me. You've got to snap out of this. You're strong enough to beat this.'

I could see his blurred, perfect face through my tears; his eyes, though still red, were darker than they'd been when I first met him. Who was Demetri to tell me that I was strong enough? He didn't know me! I hated him and his whole blood-sucking race. If he'd stood a meter back, his words and his presence would have been the final stroke that tipped me over the edge – I would have phased. But I couldn't. Not now. Not when my hands were in his. Though I recoiled against the feeling of Demetri's icy hold, I clutched at his hands desperately. I could feel the cold from his skin seeping through my body, extinguishing the flames along my spine, saving me. My shaking slowed without any effort on my part. I didn't need self control when he was touching me. He was the antidote to my phase.

I didn't let go of Demetri's hands until I was sure that I could control myself again without him. I used the time to remind myself why I was here and why I couldn't afford to phase now and risk Jacob seeing where I was and ordering me home. Eventually my tears dried and my breathing slowed. I let go of Demetri uncertainly. I started shaking again the moment his touch ceased, but the tremors were light and superficial.

Demetri didn't dwell on what had happened. He didn't even ask if I was okay. Though it was probably because he didn't care, I was silently grateful. I was furious and embarrassed enough as it was without having him rub it in. I wanted to stalk off, but following through on my desire would only make me a coward. Besides, Demetri would probably just follow me again.

Acting as if nothing had happened, he sat down next to me and pulled a folded map from his pocket. He spread it out over his lap and ran his finger over a spot on the North-Western borders of Zimbabwe. The area skirted a large expanse of bush land that stretched out into Botswana. 'This is where Tendai said that her dad used to go hunting,' he told me.

'How did you know her name when you walked up to us this morning?' I asked. Without knowing why, I was trying to avoid a discussion about the shape-shifter. I internally cursed my thick, shaky voice – I was trying my best to also appear indifferent to the past few minutes.

'Those two kids I was talking to pointed her out to me – they said that Tendai was the right person to talk to if I wanted to hear some scary stories.' He paused, and then said, 'She couldn't understand why I wanted her to show me the location on the map. As far as Tendai is concerned, her father's lover was the only shape-shifter, and, as you already know, Tendai is convinced that she's dead.'

'You believe otherwise?'

Demetri shrugged halfheartedly. 'When Salih returned to Egypt, Amun could get just two things out of him: firstly, he'd met a _group_ of people who transformed into animals, and secondly, it was their female leader that ripped his arm off.'

Amun. The name was familiar. But for the moment, I had more pressing matters to concern myself with. 'Do you think he killed the woman Tendai told us about?' I asked.

'Personally? I think not. Salih is not the type of vampire to voluntarily enter into a fight. He kills only to satisfy his thirst. And, no offense to you, but your kind does not smell particularly enticing.'

I scowled at Demetri's cheeky grin. Like I wanted to smell appealing to a leech!

'Yeah, well at least you can hold your breath,' I muttered darkly. Then, with a slowly steadying voice, I asked, 'Why did he go after them in the first place then? What was so _enticing_ about a lioness that he left Tendai alive in order to pursue her?'

Demetri's face went blank as he mulled something over in his mind. Eventually, he spoke. 'I _think_ – and of course I'm only guessing – that the answer to your query lies in the question itself. As far as vampires go, Salih is relatively compassionate;' – I snorted loudly at the word – 'although it has never been enough to prevent him from hunting humans. I can only guess that Tendai's story hit a soft spot with him. She was, of course, only an innocent, broken-hearted child at the time. Perhaps he thought that he'd be more justified in killing this new species than he was in killing humans. If they tasted like humans, then why not hunt them instead? They were, after all, only animals… I think Salih believed that killing them would remove some of the guilt he felt when he hunted humans – a sentiment somewhat similar to the Cullens' philosophy.'

The insolence in his words riled my temper. I jumped to my feet and glared down at Demetri. He seemed surprised by my strong reaction. It surprised me a little, too. Why should I care what he thought of me?

My voice was seething with anger as I choked the words out. 'We're just animals, is that it? Good enough to keep as your filthy, little pets, but not good enough to feel _guilt_ over?'

Demetri rolled his eyes, but remained seated on the ground. 'Oh, come on, Leah!' he said. 'You heard the way Tendai spoke. To her, the shape-shifter was an animal that transformed into a woman – not the other way around. I was simply making an assumption regarding Salih's interpretation of her tale.' He paused and then said quietly, 'It's not how _I_ view you.'

I didn't reply - my retort died on my lips as he added the last few words.

'Besides,' Demetri continued, suddenly laughing, '_you_ think of me as a leech – that's a worm, for goodness sake!'

It was my turn to roll my eyes. I even smiled a little in response. 'Can you blame me?'

Demetri didn't answer; he simply smiled as if he was enjoying a personal joke. Then, suddenly, he was standing next to me. One moment he was sitting on the ground, the next he was on his feet – I barely made out the blurred movement in-between. The map he'd been holding was gone; I could only assume that it was back in his pocket.

'So, you ready to go chase some lions?' Demetri asked, glancing sideways at me.

I didn't answer the question. Instead, I asked one of my own. 'Did you know that they weren't wolves?' I questioned, frowning slightly. Now that I thought about it, I shouldn't really have been surprised. As Edward had been so kind to point out, we were shape-shifters, not werewolves. Of course, that much had been obvious to me from the start.

'Aro had his suspicions,' Demetri replied. 'It probably would have shocked him more if they _were_ actually wolves.'

The mention of Aro was a stark reminder of the hidden force that guided Demetri's actions. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that he was here as a representative of the Volturi, and that _he_ didn't necessarily want to find the shape-shifters as badly as I did. This was a simple business trip for him. It wasn't personal the way that it was for me.

'Of course Aro had his suspicions,' I muttered. 'So, are we going today? As far as I can tell, there's not too much more information that we can gain from this town.'

'As soon as you're ready,' Demetri said. 'We'd better take some supplies with us, though – food and water mostly. It's unlikely that the shape-shifters reside exactly where Tendai's father used to hunt. We have a large area to cover; it could take us a few days.'

'Right.'

We headed back towards the main street, where we quickly found what appeared to be the town's central supermarket. Though quite large, the shelves inside the shop were left wanting. Fortunately it was the perishables that appeared to be low in stock. Demetri walked straight over to the drinks section and picked up a large, plastic-wrapped carton of bottled water. He lifted it easily onto his shoulder and balanced it there with one hand.

'Is this enough water, do you reckon?' he asked, raising his eyebrows.

'Sure,' I shrugged. Though strong enough to carry more, I didn't think that we'd fit any more bottles in my bag.

I left Demetri with the water and went to collect a shopping basket. I proceeded to fill it with muesli bars, a couple of bags of crisps, and as much tinned fruit as I thought I'd be able pack. I wasn't sure exactly how long 'a few days' was, but this was going to have to do.

At the counter, I picked up a map; it was a lot larger and more detailed than the one Demetri had in his pocket. He grunted when I gave it to the salesperson to scan.

'We hardly need that,' he scoffed.

'Speak for yourself,' I bit back, glaring at Demetri. 'If we're going to be wandering around in the middle of nowhere for the next few days, I'd at least like to be accurate about it.'

'Fine,' he replied, smirking.

'Fine.'

There were no customers queuing behind us and so, with that, I left to find the stationery aisle. I returned less than a minute later holding a couple of pencils and an eraser. I paid for the purchases and stalked out of the shop. Then, without waiting to see if Demetri was following me, I walked over to one of the market stalls that I'd noticed earlier and bought a cheap-looking plastic compass from the old man sitting beneath the thatched shelter.

I spun around at the sound of Demetri's arrogant laugh.

'Let's just get this stupid hike over and done with, leech,' I growled, shoving past him.

We returned to the motel, where I emptied the food onto the floor and began packing it into my backpack. Then, I ripped away the plastic from the water carton and started piling the bottles on top of the food.

'I can carry some of them in my bag if you'd like,' Demetri called from the other side of the room.

'They'll fit just fine, thank you,' I snapped back at him, as I struggled to fit the remaining water bottles into the quickly disappearing space in my bag.

Eventually, I gave up. I wouldn't be able to close the zipper at this rate. I turned around and began rapidly flinging the last few bottles of water at Demetri, who plucked them out of the air with ease. I pressed my lips into a hard line; I would have liked to see them hit him in the face.

We were ready to go. We locked the room behind us and went downstairs to sign out. Finally, we were on our way.

Demetri and I made our way north for a few kilometers before turning towards the west. We walked in silence. Eventually, the trees and brush around us thickened, and we began to pass fewer buildings and cars.

'We might as well leave the road now,' Demetri finally said. 'From here, it's a steady trek north for about sixteen kilometers.'

'Sounds good to me,' I replied. The bush held a lot more appeal for me than this long, winding road.

About five minutes later, when the road was finally out of sight, Demetri stopped. He was frowning. Without saying a word to me, he pulled a mobile phone from his bag and began keying in a number. He held it to his ear for only a few seconds before he turned his back and began conversing with someone in what I could only assume was Italian. It frustrated me that I couldn't understand what he was saying.

The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds. I had my hands on my hips when Demetri turned back around to face me.

'I think you can phase for this part of the journey, Leah,' he said. 'We'll make better time that way.'

I forgot about the phone call momentarily. 'Jake's not in his wolf form?' I asked.

Demetri was still frowning. 'No, he's not. No one in your pack is actually, and something tells me that they won't be phasing anytime soon.'

'What?' I asked aggressively. My hands curled into fists.

Demetri sighed. 'They're a couple of kilometers off the east coast of America,' he told me. 'So, unless they're into taking really long swims, I'd be willing to bet that they're on a plane to Egypt.'

I inhaled sharply. 'How-?' I asked.

Demetri shrugged. 'Is there any way that your brother saw where we were when you phased at Salih's place?'

'Of course not,' I retorted, slightly chagrined. 'I wasn't that careless!'

'I'm not implying that you were,' Demetri said. 'But thoughts are a difficult thing to control.'

'No,' I stated, shaking my head. 'Seth never saw where we were – he didn't even search my thoughts for that information. He was too engrossed in what Salih was writing down.'

Demetri accepted my declaration without question – that surprised me a little. He didn't seem too bothered by the fact that my brothers were on their way to find us. 'It wouldn't have been too difficult to track us from the Seattle airport, I guess – even with the fake passports. All Cullen needed to do was show them your photograph and read their minds.'

I threw my head back and groaned. 'If _I_ scared Salih into telling us to come here, imagine what he'll tell a whole pack of shape-shifters when they find him!'

'They won't find him,' Demetri replied confidently. 'I just spoke to Aro – he's going to get in touch with Salih. Once he finds out about the pack of wolves heading his way, Salih will disappear quick smart. Your brothers won't find anything in Egypt. With any luck, they'll give up and return home.'

I wasn't all that surprised that my brothers had left La Push to try and find me. If Jake still thought I was going to see Aro, then he'd be doing everything in his power to try and stop me. Demetri was sure that they wouldn't find us, but I wasn't convinced.

'Yeah, with any luck…' I breathed. I didn't trust Demetri's confidence, but there was nothing we could do about my pack now.

Demetri grinned, changing the subject abruptly, 'So are you going to phase?'

My spirits lifted at the thought of stretching my muscles and running once more as a wolf. The idea of being alone in my thoughts made it even more appealing.

I couldn't help but grin in response. 'Wanna race?' I asked.

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><p><strong>Please take the time to read this; there's a couple of things I wanted to say:<strong>

**Firstly, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, review, favorite or subscribe to my story updates - I really do appreciate it. I was actually pretty nervous about posting this story since it's the first time I've ever written anything like this. But your reviews in particular have made it all worth it - they make my day each and every time I read them. Please keep them coming - compliments/suggestions/criticism... They're all great! Remember that both members and guests can leave reviews.**

**Now for some bad news (or good news depending on how you look at it): Over the next four weeks, I will be writing my med exams for uni. As much as I'd love to update during that time, realistically, it's just not going to happen. Trust me, I'd rather be writing about Demetri and Leah, but studying is about to take over my life! Following my exams, I will have four days of holidays in Australia, during which I WILL update. After that, however, I am going back home to Africa for 7 weeks (to Zimbabwe actually, where D&L are at the moment). It is unlikely that I will have any any access to a computer during my stay there, let alone the internet. So, in all probability, once I've left to go home, you won't hear from me again until mid-January. I'm really sorry to leave you hanging for so long! I just hope you'll still be waiting to read the next update when I get back. If you think that you want to keep reading, feel free to sign up for story alerts (only if you want to of course) - that way, you won't have to keep checking to see if I'm back in Australia.**

**Thanks again to everyone! All the best xx.  
><strong>


	11. Why Do You Exhale So Heavily?

**Hey beautiful people! So, my exams are nearly finished :) They've been horrible so far, but I only have one to go so I'm pretty stoked! Anyway, my head is about to explode from all this studying, so I took the day off to write. I hope you enjoy this one. Nothing much happens in this chapter: I wrote is as more of a get-to-know-Demetri kind of chapter. I hope you don't find it too messy or boring, I wrote it in a bit of a rush but I like it all the same :)**

**Oh and one more thing before you can get on with the actual story: I've reached 100 reviews! I'm so incredibly excited and wanted to thank every one of you!**

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><p>Demetri was faster than I'd anticipated.<p>

But I was quicker.

I knew what it was like to fly past my opponent, but this time, the race was different: I needed to focus if I wanted to beat Demetri – much more than I'd ever needed to focus in order to beat Jacob or Seth. I had to grasp every last surge of energy that I could find and force it through my legs. I couldn't even afford to think. Just one distraction and the race would be his. I pressed my nose closer to the ground and willed my legs to move faster. My heart was racing; I could hear it pounding in my chest. I tried to time my footfalls with its accelerated rhythm, but the beat was too quick.

I had planned to start out slowly, to bide my time until the final few kilometers when I would pull out in front and leave Demetri in my wake. But he'd quickly put an end to that plan. I could hear him just meters behind me now. Demetri wanted this race as badly as I did. In a way, I was glad – it would make my victory all the more sweet.

The sparsely planted trees should have been a blur as I ran past them, but my brain sped up to match my pace. It interpreted everything that my eyes saw as if I was strolling leisurely through the park. Long blades of grass whipped at my face as I ran, making it difficult to see what lay ahead. Demetri had told me to stop running when we reached a river. Though I couldn't be sure, it felt like we should be reaching it sometime soon. At a guess, I'd say that we'd been running for about twenty minutes.

Demetri confirmed my suspicions. He began to close in on me, preparing himself for the final stretch. Through the corners of my eyes, I could make out his form barely a meter behind my front legs. _How was he still accelerating?_ I pushed myself harder. For the first time since I'd joined the world of shape-shifting, I began to feel the physical effects of my speed. A dim ache spread through my leg muscles, and my lungs began to burn as I gasped for air. The pain only drove me to run faster. Slowly, steadily, I began to pull away from Demetri once more.

When I smelt and heard the river, it was too late. Even if I _had_ realized in time, I wouldn't have slowed – doing so would have cost me the race. My vision was surrounded by splashing water as the force of my body threw a wall of it into the air. I immediately felt the current beating at my side, but fortunately the river was shallow and I was able to stand easily against the tide.

I spun around and leapt lightly back onto the river bank. Demetri had managed to stop in time and was doubled over in laughter at my ungraceful end to the race. I didn't care. So what if he was better at slowing down than I was? It didn't change the fact that I had beaten him. I yelped in triumph.

Demetri walked over to me, still shaking with laughter, and dropped my bag at my feet. 'Here,' he said. 'Next time we race, you get to carry it.'

_Ha! _ I thought smugly. _And so the excuses begin!_

He walked away and turned his back to me. I waited a few seconds to make sure that he wasn't going to turn back around, and then I phased. I grabbed the clothes I'd worn earlier this morning from the top of my bag and hurriedly pulled them on. My wet hair quickly formed a damp patch at the back of my shirt.

'Do you make a habit out of losing to girls?' I teased, still reveling in my victory.

Demetri spun around, a cocky smile spreading across his face. 'Only when they morph into gigantic, vampire-eating dogs.'

I gave a short laugh. 'You race better than my brothers, I'll give you that.'

I snapped my mouth shut as I realized what I'd just said. What a stupid thing to tell him! _Sure, just go ahead and _tell_ the enemy all about your packs' weaknesses_, I scolded myself. _Why don't you just hand the bloody advantage to him on a platter?_

Demetri noticed the array of emotions flashing across my face, and his forehead furrowed in response.

'Don't ask,' I grunted.

His lips fought another smile as he mumbled, 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

I held his gaze for a moment, before stooping to pick up my bag. I pulled the zipper open and fumbled around inside for a pencil, my map and the compass.

'Right,' I said crisply, getting down to business as I sat down and laid the map out on the ground in front of me. 'Where are we?' My pencil hovered over the general region that I knew us to be in.

Demetri crouched down across from me, on the other side of the map, and lifted the pencil from my fingers. His eyes never left mine as he placed it on the map and made a small mark.

'We're here,' he said.

I frowned as I looked down. He'd marked our location with a small 'x'.

'And,' Demetri continued, 'I suggest that we use the remaining light to search this area today,' – his pencil swept across the map to outline an area to the west of where we were – 'and then cover these areas over the course of the next few days.' He continued to outline more and more expanses of bush land.

I looked up. His eyes were still on my face. 'You just drew all of that without even looking at the map!' I exclaimed. _Hate to point out the obvious_…

'I tried to tell you that we didn't need it.'

A strange, nervous laugh bubbled from my lips. I used my eyes to indicate the map as I asked, 'Your gift… allows you to do _that_?'

Demetri looked almost smug as he replied, 'I see the world in coordinates – it's just the way my mind has learnt to accommodate my ability. That, coupled with my capacity to remember even the most complex of details, means that I as good as have an inbuilt map in my head.' He paused and grinned mockingly at the one lying on the ground. 'One that puts yours to shame.'

I snatched the map up and glowered at Demetri. 'Yeah well, just because you have some freakish robot mind doesn't mean that I don't need a map to see where _I'm _going.'

'Fair enough,' he replied laughing. 'We can't all be trackers. Some of us just have to deal with possessing superhuman speed instead.'

Before I could think better of it, I grinned back. 'Superhuman?' I scoffed lightly. 'Considering that _I_ just beat _you_, I think that we can safely refer to it as super_vampire_ speed.' S_ince_ _when had I been able joke around with a blood-sucker?_ The emotional high from my victory was messing with my head.

The smile left my face as I focused once more on our task. I gave the map a quick once over and then held out my compass to get my bearings. I heard Demetri snort and looked down. East and west had been switched over on the compass, so that where there should have been an E, there was a W and where there should have been a W, there was an E. I groaned as I regarded the discount compass. I would be lucky if that was its only defect. I shoved everything back into my bag in disgust. It frustrated me that I had to rely on Demetri's talent.

He smirked annoyingly. 'Guess you do need my robot mind after all.'

'Shut up and run, Dracula!' I snapped.

Demetri needed no further prompting. He flashed a teasing row of white teeth before turning and running swiftly and silently westwards. I hoisted the bag onto my shoulders and followed his quickly retreating figure.

**(* * *)**

We ran together all afternoon, sweeping the savanna in meticulous zigzagging patterns, until night fell. The stars were out now, though they were dimmed slightly by the light of the full moon. I lay on the hard ground with my head propped up against my bag. I couldn't relax, though every inch of my body screamed for sleep. It wasn't just that I was concerned about what Demetri would get up to once my eyes were closed. It was more than that. My mind just wouldn't switch off. We were so close, and yet I didn't even know what to do once we found the shape-shifters. That was _if_ we found them. How could I warn them about the Volturi without Demetri getting in the way? I wondered if they'd help me fight him… help me kill him…

My eyes flickered to his motionless form. He was sitting against a tree, a few metres away from me, with his arms crossed behind his head. His hood was pulled low over his eyes and his chest rose slowly and rhythmically as he breathed deeply. He was putting on a better show of sleep than I was. His skin glowed slightly in the moonlight – just a subtle radiance that was nowhere near as confronting as it was during the day. Watching him now, I could almost understand why humans found the leeches beautiful. Demetri, with his smooth olive skin and his strong, perfect features, looked every bit the angel that Tendai believed him to be.

They were monsters in disguise, every one of them.

I shifted noisily, trying in vain to get comfortable. I stared absently at the sky for a few more minutes, but eventually the silence got to me. Demetri wasn't sleeping, and I sure as hell wasn't either. My voice was quiet, but I knew that he could hear me.

'Demetri?' I breathed. I regretted speaking his name immediately. It didn't escape my notice that it was the first time I'd done so since I'd met him.

He didn't answer. He didn't even move; and yet I knew that he was waiting for me to continue. And so, taking a deep breath, I did. 'Why now?' I asked. 'You said that Salih travelled here twenty-two years ago. Why are you only hunting the shape-shifters _now_?'

Demetri's voice was quieter than mine when he replied. 'I knew of Salih's travels twenty-two years ago, but that was the extent of my knowledge. I was in Italy at the time, and until that whole fiasco with the Cullen's half-breed child last year, we knew nothing of his encounter with the shape-shifters.'

My eyebrows pulled together as I mulled over his words. 'I don't understand,' I finally admitted.

Demetri chuckled. 'Of course you don't.' He sighed and then said, 'When Salih returned to Egypt, Amun found him. Salih was somewhat incoherent at the time, and Amun never truly made sense of his mutterings until he met you and your brothers a few months ago. Even then, only vague thoughts and memories crossed his mind. Edward, of course, heard Amun's thoughts and when Aro communicated that night with Edward, he read Amun's memories through Edward.'

'Edward knew about the other shape-shifters?' I hissed. A wave of fury washed over me as I digested the information.

Demetri shrugged. 'Like I said, Amun's thoughts were vague. Edward didn't pay much attention to them. Aro on the other hand…'

'It figures,' I muttered. Of course Edward wouldn't have taken any interest in the other pack. Not when it didn't concern him and his precious family. I spoke again to distract myself. 'I'm surprised that Amun didn't take more interest in the shape-shifters,' I said, contemplating my thoughts out loud. 'Isn't he also a collector?'

Demetri lifted his head and eyed me from under his hood. 'A collector?'

Though I was fairly ignorant on matters concerning the vampire world, I had connected Amun's face with the name, and remembered what Jacob had told us about him. Amun hadn't wanted to defend Renesmee. He was scared that the Volturi would steal his gifted companion… the young, dark-haired leech. I couldn't remember his name.

'Like the Volturi,' I clarified. 'Doesn't Amun like to collect gifts?'

I was surprised by Demetri's response. Instead of the arrogant, teasing reply that I'd come to expect from him, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Even at this distance, I could see his eyes flashing angrily. 'Yes,' he replied, his tone clipped. After a brief pause, he continued, 'Amun _collected_ me.'

'What?'

Demetri hesitated. He seemed reluctant to answer me. 'I was a street performer in Egypt with my father,' he eventually said. 'Amun watched me perform one morning. He told my father that I was gifted… said that he could give me a better life… Amun was rich and treated like a god by the locals, and so naturally, my father jumped at the chance.'

I was shocked again by the bitterness that enveloped Demetri's words. I had never really entertained the idea that Demetri had once been human. It hadn't even occurred to me that he'd had a life before the Volturi. Though I couldn't explain it to myself, I was curious. Maybe the lack of anyone's company besides Demetri's was finally getting to me. Whatever the reason, it bothered me that I was so interested in his story.

'What was your life like? When you were still human, I mean?' My words came out slowly, reluctantly.

For a long while, Demetri didn't reply. When he did, his voice was back to normal, though his eyes still smoldered. 'My memories of that time are vague… It was pretty ordinary, I suppose… I grew up in Egypt. I never knew my mother – she died giving birth to me. My father didn't have a lot of money and so once I was old enough, he and I took to the streets to try and earn a few coins from passersby… Our act became quite popular towards the end.'

His last few words were proud and I smiled in spite of myself. 'What was your act?' I asked. My lips quivered slightly as I tried to imagine Demetri juggling on top of a unicycle, or performing some other absurdity characteristic of a street performer.

Demetri laughed at my question and I relaxed. I felt more at ease in Demetri's company when he was laughing. I felt that I recognized this Demetri. 'The usual,' he told me. 'Dad told jokes and did a few magic tricks. I mostly _found_ stuff… It was quite basic at first; people would hide their hats or necklaces, and I'd find them… Towards the end, people themselves would hide and I'd know exactly where to look. It just came naturally to me. In over ten years of performing, I never once got it wrong.'

I tried to imagine it, but couldn't. 'How old were you… when Amun changed you?' I hesitated on the last part, wondering if Demetri would get angry again.

His face hardened for a fraction of a second, but when I blinked, it was smooth once more. 'I'd just turned twenty-one.'

'And then the Volturi took you?'

Demetri smiled. 'And then the Volturi took me.' Before I could question him further, Demetri spoke again. His voice was gentle, almost tender. 'Can I ask you something, Leah?'

I shrugged. It was only fair after all of the questions I'd asked him.

'Why do you hate what you are?'

My breath hitched in my throat. His question was completely out of the blue and it caught me off guard. I had never told anybody the answer to that question. Then again, nobody had ever taken the time to ask. Not even my brothers, who had free access to my thoughts, understood the full scope of my resentment. Sure, Jacob knew that I wanted to quit phasing and leave town. But as far as he was concerned – as far as anyone was concerned – I only wanted to escape Sam. And that was true: I did want to escape Sam. But there was so much more to it than that. I wanted to escape it all.

I looked away and swallowed. Becoming a shape-shifter had cost me everything. When Sam left me for Emily, I was just an ordinary girl. I would have gotten over him. I know that I would have. I sought comfort in the arms of my friends, and everything seemed like it was going to get better. I was going to go to college and follow my dreams. I was going to be happy again.

And then I phased. And everything changed.

I was thrust into a world that I never wanted. I was unable to escape Sam, and unable to get over him. I became part of the 'La Push gang' without ever having had a choice. I was forced to hang out with a group of boys that viewed me as an unwelcome outsider. I was different to them. Bitter. Twisted. _Female_. I wasn't allowed to explain to my friends why I was suddenly hanging out with the same guys that I had always claimed to hate. In their eyes, I was a traitor. I was alone – unwanted by my pack and shunned by my friends. Ordinary boys in La Push were jealous of me. To them, the gang was exclusive – a level of social prestige for which to aim. And all along, I would have given the world to trade places with them.

My plans to graduate from college had been snatched from my grasp, and I had to watch as one by one, my classmates left La Push in search of something that I could only ever dream about. I had to listen as my teachers clucked their tongues and claimed that I was a waste of good brains.

And then there was Harry. My father, Harry, who would have been alive today if it hadn't have been for my shape-shifting.

Everything changed, and so I did too. I began to survive the only way I knew how. Because surviving was the best that I could hope for.

I turned back to face Demetri. He was watching me carefully, his eyes round and concerned. I wondered if he really expected me to answer his question. A sudden thought occurred to me and I blurted out the question before I really understood what I was asking. 'Is that why talking about Amun made you so angry? Do _you_ hate what you are?' The idea was ludicrous, almost laughable.

I was surprised when Demetri didn't answer me. I sat up abruptly and studied him through narrowed eyes. Was it possible that I was right? Were we really just a pair of misfits in a brutal, unkind world?

Demetri looked at me and sighed. 'Get some sleep, Leah.' After a short pause, he added, 'You can; I'm not going to hunt tonight.'

Strangely enough, I believed him.

* * *

><p><strong>So, remember last time I wrote that short chapter from Demetri's perspective? Well basically the idea of that was just to take a break from Leah and get some perspective for the rest of the story. I do it occasionally, just for inspiration. Anyway, my point is that I'm posting another one that i wrote to help me with writing this chapter. It's really short but like I said, it's just for inspiration. Hope you like it:<strong>

**Here it is, Demetri's interruption:**

**Demetri**

I watched as Leah slept. She looked like a different girl: no longer angry and dangerous and scared. Sleep had wiped away her bitterness and smoothed her features, exposing the vulnerability that she went to such great lengths to conceal. I was surprised that she'd believed me so easily when I'd promised her that I wouldn't hunt tonight. Not that she had any reason to be worried – I had been telling the truth; though if it was up to me, I _would_ be hunting right now. A swell of venom flowed over my tongue as I imagined the warm, wet taste of human blood. I groaned as my throat ached painfully in response to the stray thought.

Yes, if it was up to me, I'd be hunting now. But it wasn't. Like Leah, I had an alpha controlling my every action. Granted, Aro's techniques were slightly different to that of the wolves, but his commands weren't any easier to ignore. Even without Chelsea around to force my loyalty, I obeyed him. What did I have to gain by doing otherwise? When I'd spoken with Aro earlier, he'd asked me – given Leah's stance – to 'please refrain from feeding'. Aro wanted Leah to trust me, and as far as he was concerned, this was the way to go about it.

For a short moment, I considered how Leah would react to both Jacob and Aro trying to control her at once. If Chelsea broke her ties to the pack and forced her to feel loyalty towards the Volturi, which master would end up winning the battle? No doubt Jacob and Aro's commands would pull her in two completely different directions. A stab of guilt sliced through my chest as I realized that the situation would eventually play out in Leah's life.

I watched as a gentle ripple of wind tugged at a stray piece of hair that had draped itself across her cheek. I smiled slightly. I was kidding myself if I thought that Aro would have any control over her. Despite Chelsea's gift, Leah would find some way to defy the Volturi. Even Aro suspected as much. In the overall scheme of things, it didn't really matter to him. Recruiting Leah was just a curious itch he would attempt to scratch. She wasn't the prize; she was just a vital stepping stone on the way to what he truly wanted.

I gritted my teeth. The thought of Leah becoming one of us made me want to hit something. Was she right? Did I hate what I was? I didn't think so. I had my reasons for detesting Amun and what he'd done to me. But was it because of what I was or because of what it had cost me? It didn't make much difference in the end. I was what I was. As was Leah.

As were we all.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I leave for Africa in a week. I'm going to try my very best to get one more chapter up before then. AND, I know you've all been waiting for ages to meet the other shape-shifters, and whilst I can't promise anything until I actually sit down and start writing, I have a feeling that they'll be introduced in my next update :) I'm really excited and I hope you are too! I've got this whole story planned out in my head and there will be plenty of twists coming in the future. All I'm going to say is that everything that I write about in the earlier chapters is for a reason, and it's all going to be tied together in a nice little bow at the end of the story :) Love you all muchly xoxo<br>**


	12. Free

**I'm leaving in a few hours, so this will be my last update until I return to Australia in mid-January. I'll miss you all! Hope you all have a great holiday season and hope to hear from you all when I get back. Lots of love!**

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

It had been a week since we'd left Victoria Falls and there was still no sign of the shape-shifters. Our travels had taken us over the border into Botswana, and in another week we would have covered the entire expanse.

I sat on the riverbank, with my feet dangling in the murky, brown water. I twisted an unkempt lock of soot-colored hair between my fingers and gazed at it absentmindedly. After hacking at it with a pair of blunt scissors a few weeks ago, the ends were looking ragged and untidy. But I kind of liked it that way. The truth was that I'd originally decided to grow it out again. Then people started commenting on how 'lovely and long' it was getting. And so I'd cut it. Just to piss them off.

A bead of sweat ran down my forehead, and I tucked the strand behind my ear, letting the sweat plaster it to my scalp with the rest of my salt-caked hair. The days had become excruciatingly hot, and Demetri and I had taken to scouring the land by night. It was mostly for my sake. Given that my brothers were now in Egypt, I had no choice but to run in my human form. But with my human form came human weaknesses, and we'd found that my speed and distance improved under night's cool blanket. I glared into the distance. I was a lot faster in my wolf form, and the hindrance of running as a human was getting to me more than I liked to admit.

'What's with the frown?' Demetri enquired, dropping to the ground beside me.

I wrinkled my nose as his scent poisoned the air around me, and leaned away in an exaggerated show of disgust.

'You like that do you?' he teased. Before I had time to react, Demetri pulled off his shirt and shoved the reeking material under my nose.

'Ew!' I complained loudly as I slapped his hand away. 'Take a bath, leech!'

He sniggered quietly and I smiled in spite of myself as a plan began to take form in my mind. Dipping my hands quickly into the river, I brought up a fistful of water and threw it at Demetri's face. No sooner had I done so than I was on the balls of my feet, ready to dodge the fruits of his retaliation.

Demetri leapt up after me, his eyes twinkling mischievously as water dripped from his eyelashes. He reached for my arms and though I did my best to dance out of the way, I was nowhere near quick enough. Grabbing both of my wrists in one of his large hands, Demetri used the other to spin me around so that I was dangling precariously over the churning river.

'Let me go!' I shrieked. His grip was hard and cold, though it wasn't painful.

'As you wish, my lady,' Demetri joked in an oddly formal accent. He slackened his grip so that I fell a few centimeters closer to the water's surface.

'On the land, you moron!'

Demetri cupped his free hand behind his ear and raised his eyebrows obnoxiously. 'Isn't there some sort of magic word you're supposed to use in these situations?'

'Really?' I snorted 'You're going _there_?' He could keep dreaming. I would sooner fall than say 'please'.

Demetri's grin just widened.

My eyes fell on his bare chest and I blinked in response to the sharp rays of sunlight that his skin threw back at me. 'Seriously, Demetri, let me go; you're burning my eyes!'

He chuckled. 'My apologies, wolf-girl.' And with that, he let go.

As I fell, I hooked my foot around Demetri's leg and yanked. It worked better than I'd expected. He hit the water less than a second after me. The river was cool and refreshing as I sunk into its depths. I came up spluttering, happier for having escaped the burning sun, if only for a few seconds. I laughed at Demetri, whose head was covered in mossy slime. He pulled it slowly from his hair and threw it lightly towards me. There was no real intent behind the action though, and I scooted easily out of the weed's path.

'Jerk!' I muttered, though Demetri knew as well as I did that I wasn't really mad.

I pulled myself back onto the river bank and flattened out so that the sun could dry my clothes. Demetri stayed in the water a while longer and I eyed him curiously. 'I have a question,' I said. 'You don't need to breathe right? So technically you could swim underwater… indefinitely?'

Demetri got out and lay down next to me. He turned his head to the side and a cheeky expression lit up his face. 'How do you think I snuck up on you that night on the boat?'

My eyes narrowed. 'That's kind of creepy, you know.'

'No creepier than the fact that you grow a tail.' He was smiling in anticipation, waiting for me to snap back.

I rolled my eyes. 'And welcome back, Comedian Demetri!'

Demetri laughed. At least _he_ found his jokes funny.

I turned my head away from him and stared up at the sky. I couldn't believe that I was lying next to a blood-sucker and feeling as relaxed as I was. I was used to Demetri's company now. I thought back to the words he'd used when I first met him. 'It would be a shame,' he'd said, in reference to my death. 'Such as waste.' I wondered if I'd feel the same way when it came time to fight him.

I closed my eyes and ran over the past week in my head. One particular conversation stood out in my thoughts. It had taken place the morning after Demetri had told me about his life as a street performer in Egypt. I had woken up just as intrigued as I'd been the night before and Demetri had been more honest in his answers that I'd had any right to expect.

**(* * *)**

_I sat up and stretched, enjoying the crying relief of my aching muscles as I unfolded my limbs and looked around. There was a knot in my lower back where a small rock had dug into my skin during the night, and as I rubbed the tender spot gently, my eyes landed on Demetri. He had his back turned to me, and was standing a short distance away. He didn't turn around until I was standing right next to him._

'_Sleep well?' he asked._

'_Better than you,' I mumbled. I cocked my head to the side and studied him carefully. His face was set grimly and he looked tired... weary even. 'Are you alright?' I asked, trying to convince myself that I didn't care._

_He turned his head away from me once more, and after a while said, 'I'm fine. Why?'_

_I couldn't let it go. I wanted to know what it was that could elicit such a reaction in a cold, heartless being. 'Tell me something. Why did you get so worked up when I mentioned Amun last night?'_

_Demetri didn't respond in any way to my question; he just stared off into the nothingness with his lips pressed tightly together. After several minutes of silence, I turned to walk away. I didn't have time to waste waiting for a reply that wasn't coming. His voice stopped me in my tracks._

'_Those three days, while the venom was still spreading, I didn't…' Demetri shook his head in a hopeless search for words. 'I had no idea what was going on. Amun left me in the basement of an isolated property whilst he attended to other _matters._ He didn't allow my father to come and see me – he was an ignorant human being after all, and Amun could not allow him to witness my transformation. But once it was over, they both returned… It mattered little to Amun then. My father's life meant nothing to him.'_

_I watched Demetri carefully. His jaw clenched fiercely as he finished speaking. He looked ready to tear someone's head off._

_It was another few minutes before he continued. 'I didn't know who I was… _what_ I was… When my father walked in, I wasn't prepared. There was no warning. My body just… took over. It didn't matter that he was my father. In that moment, my vampire instincts were all that defined me.'_

_I swallowed slowly. As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop my voice from shaking. 'You killed your father?'_

_Demetri glanced down at me and laughed humorlessly. 'I guess that makes me even more of a monster in your eyes now, huh?'_

_My eyebrows pulled together and my lips parted slightly as I watched fiery shards of anger make blazing trails across Demetri's face, consuming everything in their path. But there was something else in his expression that the fire could not consume – something subtle and powerful that, were it not for his fury, would have laid unmasked and bare. It was an emotion so blatantly human that it couldn't possibly belong on the face of a monster. Remorse. Demetri hated himself for what he'd done. For killing his father. How was it possible that this, which above all deeds should have made him a monster in my eyes, instead forced me to acknowledge his humanity?_

Get a grip, Leah, _a defiant voice screamed inside my head. _He is a murderer! Savage! Vampire.

_The words were loud and brutal, but it took only guilt's quiet whisper to silence them. _No. _This voice was not content to simply whisper its sinister threats inside my head. It whispered them throughout my entire body. I could taste them on my tongue and feel them in my churning stomach and in the single tear that ran down my cheek. _You are no better than him, _it said. _You are the same. _The same. Demetri and I. And this was why guilt's quiet words were so deadly. Because they were the truth._

'_I killed my father, too,' I managed to whisper._

_The movement was fast; Demetri's eyes were on my face for only a fraction of a second before he'd turned his face away once more. 'Your father died of a heart attack,' he stated matter-of-factly._

_I didn't ask how he knew. I didn't care. Instead, I proceeded to tell Demetri why he was right. And why he was wrong._

'_Harry had a heart attack the first time I phased,' I said. 'His health was already shaky and just like the rest of them, he was so set in his stupid opinions that only male members of the tribe could phase. And then his own daughter… It was the shock… We were sitting in the lounge-room and I just lost –' I broke off, unable to continue. Memories of that night rose painfully in my mind… Sue staggering backwards, her hand over her mouth…. Harry, clutching his left shoulder and collapsing into death's welcoming arms… Seth, phasing in the chaos I'd created…. And me, staring down at a foreign pair of grey paws, Sam's voice ringing in my head._ Leah, _he'd thought. _Please God, this isn't happening.

_I felt Demetri's thumb brush across my cheek as he wiped away my tear, and I didn't flinch. I looked up to meet his steady gaze. There was no pity in his eyes. No pity, but also no judgment. And in that moment I knew that Demetri understood. Because, unlike everybody else, he didn't waste meaningless words in a futile attempt to convince me that I hadn't killed Harry. Unlike everybody else, Demetri knew that no words were sufficient to wrench me from guilt's entrapping grip. The same way that I knew my words could never bring him peace about what he'd done._

_Because in some ways, Demetri and I _were _the same._

**(* * *)**

Since that conversation, things had been different with Demetri. I found myself at ease in his company and, more often than not, I found myself forgetting what he was. It had finally clicked that in order for my plan to work, I would need Demetri to trust me. More than that though, he would need to believe that I trusted him. I needed to play nice. I tried to tell myself that the changes in our relationship were due to this realization, but I couldn't deny that sometimes those thoughts had nothing to do with the way I interacted with Demetri. Like this afternoon by the river. It made me wonder whether hating him or liking him was the act.

Demetri stiffened and the movement brought me back to the present. He was still lying next to me, but his eyes were glazed over as if his mind was somewhere else.

'Demetri?' I asked hesitantly.

He jolted slightly and sat up. 'Sorry,' he said. 'My mind wanders sometimes.'

'Is everything okay?' I asked, sitting up beside him.

'It's your brothers,' he told me. 'They've found Salih's house.'

It was my turn to stiffen.

Seeing my reaction, Demetri said quickly, 'It doesn't help them much, of course. Salih is long gone.'

But it wasn't that which was worrying me. If Jacob and the pack kept getting closer…. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to erase the thought. 'You need to promise me something,' I said, stumbling over the words as I fought to get them out quickly. Demetri arched his eyebrows and I continued. 'If my pack begins to look threatening in any way – if they look like they're going to find us – I need you to promise me that you won't call for back-up from the Volturi…. even though they'll be seeking to kill you.' My request was desperate - my pack could never survive a fight in which Jane or Alec incapacitated us.

Demetri had the nerve to look amused. 'Do you really think that I'd need the Volturi's help to take on your brothers? That I can't evade six wolves looking to kill me?'

'Six?' I blinked, momentarily taken aback.

'Well I assume that you'd be fighting with them…' A small smile was playing on Demetri's lips.

I brushed aside his assumption. 'Even with me there's only five in the pack.'

Demetri sucked in his right cheek before replying. 'It isn't only members of your pack that are looking for you, Leah.'

I shook my head, confused. 'I don't –'

Demetri cut me off. 'The black wolf – the other pack's alpha. He's in Egypt too.'

I could feel my fingernails digging into the ground on either side of me, crushing any soil or stones that got in their way. I could understand Jacob coming after me. I was in his pack. But Sam…. Sam had no right to leave La Push in pursuit of me. This was _my _decision. _My _life. I felt like I was finally living it. Who was Sam to try and take that away from me? I was shaking, but I knew that I was in no danger of phasing. This was anger was too human; it had no place in a wolf's body.

Slowly, I pried my fingers from the ground and hugged my knees to my chest. 'Sam,' I said evenly.

'He's the one that left you.'

It didn't surprise me that Demetri knew about Sam. I nodded mutely.

'The whole imprinting thing...'

Again I nodded. I peeked through the corners of my eyes to read Demetri's expression. He looked almost disgusted. 'What?' I asked.

His voice was mocking when he replied. 'It just seems wrong, somehow – being forced to love someone. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of love?'

'Which is what exactly?' Demetri was wrong. Love had no purpose. Except to destroy.

He avoided my question altogether, saying instead, 'If you ask me, you're better off without him.'

I bit my lip until I tasted blood in my mouth. How many times had I already heard this? From the pack, from my family… even from Emily. Their words were always the same. If Sam imprinted on Emily, it meant that we had never truly belonged together, and why would I want to be stuck in a relationship like that? They said it like it would bring me comfort.

'Because I'm better off alone than with someone who could never truly love me, right?' _Thanks Demetri, but I've heard it all before._

'No.' Demetri turned to stare into my eyes with a strange intensity that made me look away embarrassed. 'Because you're better off alone than with someone that you could never truly love back.'

His reply was so unexpected that I eyed him sharply. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' I muttered. I didn't want to discuss this with Demetri anymore, but I couldn't help clutching to what he'd said.

'If Sam loved you, then he should have fought for you.'

I couldn't prevent some of my anger from seeping into my voice. 'So you're saying he didn't love me, is that it?'

'No. I'm saying that Sam is a coward. And you could never be with a coward. Not once you realized what he was.' Demetri's eyes bored into mine again. 'And eventually you would have.'

I looked down at my feet and whispered my reply. 'Maybe I'm the coward.'

I started at the sound of Demetri's laugh. 'Trust me, Leah Clearwater,' he said, 'you're anything but coward.'

I didn't know what to say, so instead I leaned over and gently shoved my shoulder against his, doing my best to convey all of my gratitude in that one gesture.

We didn't speak again and eventually I fell into an uneasy sleep. I dreamed of Demetri. Demetri and Emily. And when he imprinted on her, I killed him. I wasn't sorry to wake up. My eyes had barely fluttered open when I was pulling my bag onto my shoulders and preparing for another night of searching. My stomach growled, but seeing as I had finished my last muesli bar this morning, I did my best to ignore it. I tried not to think about my last available food source. Which, given Demetri's next words, proved difficult.

'Let me go back to Victoria Falls, Leah,' he pleaded. 'I can get you some food and be back within the night.'

He was right, of course. Without me to hinder him, and without having to slow down to search, Demetri could easily make it there and back before the next morning. But I couldn't allow it. Not when there were so many vulnerable humans in the small town. No matter how many times Demetri promised me that he wouldn't hunt, it was not a risk that I was willing to take. Fortunately the nearby river had given me a constant water supply otherwise I'd have had to rethink things a little.

I shook my head stubbornly. 'No, I'm fine. We'll probably find the shape-shifters tonight in any case. With any luck, they'll have plenty of food.' My words were optimism at its best and I could tell that Demetri didn't buy it.

'And you still refuse to hunt the animals around here?'

Vomit rose in my throat at the thought of eating raw. 'Ugh, thanks but I'd rather starve for a day,' I said.

'Except that at this rate you might be starving for another five days,' Demetri countered. 'Look, Leah, you need to eat.'

'What is it to you whether I eat or not?' I snapped back. Why wouldn't he just drop it?

As usual, my anger amused Demetri, and it wasn't long before he chuckled. 'Can't have you dropping dead on me, can I?'

I studied him closely. The change had been so gradual that I hadn't noticed it before. His irises were like coal, and deep shadows beneath his eyes accented his thirst. 'You're thirsty,' I said softly. For some reason, a small wave of guilt swept through me at this discovery, but I couldn't find its source.

'Yes,' he smiled, 'but unlike you, I can survive indefinitely without hunting.'

To prove my earlier point before Demetri could start to hassle me again, I asked, 'Why don't _you_ hunt these animals?' It was a joke. And that's all it was. Because Demetri would never agree to it.

As I'd predicted, he grimaced at the thought. But before I could smile triumphantly, Demetri relaxed his face once more and asked, 'If I hunt the animals, will you too?'

My mouth dropped open. There was no hint of a smile on his face, no indication that he'd been joking. Demetri appraised me subtly as he waited for a reply.

Finally, I spoke. 'Yes,' I said, though I made no attempt to hide my disgust. And in reality, I had no other option. Because with Demetri drinking animal blood, there was less chance that he'd slip up and go after humans. No matter how many promises he made, we would eventually come into contact with humans again and who really knew how much control he had over his thirst? What was really bothering me was why? Why would Demetri force himself to hunt animals so that it meant that I would too?

'Excellent,' Demetri said, interrupting my thoughts. A hint of sarcasm stained his words. A moment later, he said, 'Only one of your brothers – the same one who saw Salih through your thoughts – is in his wolf form. He's a couple of miles south of Salih's house. That's where the rest of your pack is. You'll need to cut this as fine as possible; only phase at the last minute. There's no point in him finding out more than he has to.'

I nod in understanding. Leaving our bags where we were, Demetri and I began to move silently in search of our prey. I followed Demetri's lead, knowing that his sense of smell was stronger than mine whilst I was in my human form. It took less than five minutes for us to locate a small herd of antelope. Demetri turned to me and raised his eyebrows, seeking my approval. I shrugged indifferently. Raw meat was raw meat. He nodded and mouthed a count-down. Three. Two. One.

On one, I closed my eyes and felt the heat transforming me. When I opened them, I was no longer the girl with the ragged hair. It took me less than a second to pounce onto one of the larger antelopes, and less than that to break its neck. The remaining animals scattered. All but mine and the large male trapped beneath Demetri's unyielding lips. I dropped my kill as my face arranged itself into a wolf-like version of revulsion. Then, as I saw the emotion mirrored in Demetri's own eyes, my teeth bared in something of a grin. Glad to see the leech was enjoying his dinner.

Demetri dropped the animal as he drained it of its last drops of blood, and looked at my untouched kill. 'It's better warm,' he joked in a tone that made it clear that it was bad either way. With that, he ran off in pursuit of another bush-land meal.

Closing my eyes, I ripped the skin from the antelope's side and brought my teeth to its flesh. The smell of its blood did strange things to my stomach, but I forced myself to think the way that Jacob had taught me. I ate less than I should have, stopping long before my stomach was full. I was ready to phase back when I realized that something was missing. There was no voice in my head. Panicking, I searched for Seth's thoughts, before dropping to the ground in relief as I found them. Seth was sleeping. Placing my head on my front paws, I watched as his vague, colorful dreams drew patterns in my mind. Every now and again, his dreams would lapse into darkness – it explained why I hadn't found him earlier.

The shock of seeing my face in his dreams brought me to my feet again. Only it wasn't my face. Not the face that I saw in the mirror each day. Because, in Seth's dreams, my skin was pale and cold, and from my fangs dropped crimson crystals of blood.

I was thankful for the noise that distracted me, and looked up to see my bag landing on the floor in front of me.

'Get dressed,' Demetri's voice instructed.

I barely had time to register the golden hue in his irises before he was unzipping my bag and pulling out the first pieces of clothing he could find. 'Get dressed,' he said again. His voice sounded faintly agitated.

When he turned around, I phased back and pulled on the pair of shorts and shirt that Demetri had pulled out. 'What is it?' I asked.

Demetri turned back to face me. His expression was difficult to read. 'The shape-shifters,' was all he said.


	13. All Eyes Are On You Now

**Hey everyone. FINALLY I've uploaded the full chapter. I know it took longer than I expected but it's here now :) My computer had a virus this last week but its finally up and running again. It sounds like I'm making excuses, I know,** **but nevertheless it's a true one. Hope you enjoy it - I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.**

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><p><em>The shape-shifters<em>. Demetri's words rang in my ears.

'Where?' My voice was quiet and the question sounded flat on my lips. I was scared. No. I was terrified. Not only was I about to meet the other shape-shifters, but I was taking Demetri to meet them too. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I was, I wasn't ready to attack him yet. But once the lions met him, I knew that I might not have a choice.

'About two kilometers North-East from here,' Demetri replied, his voice as emotionless as my own. I took a deep breath and his face softened. 'Are you okay?' he asked.

'No,' I answered truthfully. 'I'm nervous as hell.'

'You've no need to be.'

I didn't reply. I turned to look in the direction Demetri had mentioned, but could see nothing beyond the thick shrub and a few scattered trees. Somewhere beyond them lay what were possibly the only other female shape-shifters in the world besides me. Every moment in the past few weeks had built up to this. It was stupid, but I was suddenly worried about expectations. Would they live up to mine? Would I live up to theirs?

'Leah?' I turned back to look at Demetri. 'Be careful okay?'

My forehead scrunched up in confusion. 'You're not coming with me?'

Demetri gave a short laugh. 'We need them to trust you before we even attempt to convince them to trust me. Walking into their camp with a vampire in tow is hardly going to help your cause.' He paused. 'I'll catch up with you in a couple of days when you're unaccompanied.'

I nodded as relief flooded my tense limbs. Demetri's plan had bought me some time, and that was all that I could ask for at the moment. I bent down to pick up my backpack and then hoisted it onto my back. 'Well, I guess I'll see you then.'

'I guess so.'

I studied Demetri for a moment and then turned to leave. This felt more like a goodbye than it should have, and I was keen to get away from the awkwardness of our farewell. His touch stopped me momentarily. My shirt had ridden up slightly as I'd picked up my bag and Demetri's thumb was now tracing soft lines across my exposed hip. I froze and stared down in shock as a trail of goose-bumps pursued his touch. Though the small bumps on my skin told me what I already knew – that his skin was ice cold – I could feel only an intense burn across my skin.

I lifted my eyes to Demetri's, which were locked on mine. 'Don't do anything stupid,' he said softly. Before I could wonder at the meaning behind his words, he turned and left.

I blinked and Demetri was gone.

I replayed what had just happened over in my mind. A second, a minute… I didn't know how long Demetri's touch had lasted, only that it had left me quite shaken. In itself, it had been only a small action – the simple caress of a thumb – but my stomach was clenching nervously in response to the memory. I kicked at a large stone by my feet in frustration, and then yelped as a stab of pain ran through my big toe.

Scowling, I began the trek towards the shape-shifters. I knew that I should hurry, but for some reason my mind refused to convey the command to my limbs. I moved slowly, cautiously taking in the sounds and smells around me and occasionally stopping to brush my fingertips across the trunks of the surrounding trees. Some part of me recognized what I was trying to do – to avoid thinking – but I refused to acknowledge my awareness of the fact. Because if I did, I would dismantle all of the mental walls that I was busy putting up and the potential directions of my thoughts scared me more than I liked to admit.

Gradually, the land moved beneath my feet and I reached a point where I knew that I couldn't put it off any longer. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and began to focus on my task. Breathing in slowly through my nose, I mentally catalogued the familiar smells around me, carefully deciphering those that strayed from what I knew. It took a few seconds for me to recognize the scent. It was that of an animal tinged with the scent of a human, rather than the other way around. Though until now my brothers were the only other shape-shifters that I'd smelled, I knew instinctively that I had found the other pack.

In a swift, comforting wave, my reservations were swept from my mind as I suddenly found myself running towards the scent. I willed my legs to move faster, to take me beyond the dark tree-line that obscured my view. Nothing else mattered to me in that moment, because I finally realized that I'd done it. I'd found the shape-shifters. I had escaped my pain and heartache in La Push and was now just seconds away from embracing the goal I'd set for myself. Exhilaration coursed through my veins as my hair flew out behind me and my breath began to come in short, regular gasps. Just a few more strides…

With a silent cry of joy, my hands broke the tree-line and I stumbled out into a small, overgrown clearing. The first thing I noticed was the silence that greeted my arrival. It's funny how sometimes the absence of sound can be so much more potent than its presence. The next thing I noticed was the way that each one of their gazes was locked on me. There were five lions in total – all of them male and all of them breathtaking in their beauty. The closest shape-shifter was standing, frozen, less than five metres from where I'd burst through the trees. I scanned around me quickly, and my eyes fell on the lion furthest from where I stood. He was lying lazily in the sun, his tail flicking occasionally at a buzzing fly. His mane was a glossy red-brown and I was immediately reminded of Jake. For that reason alone, I ignored the other lions and began to address him.

'Hi,' I whispered hesitantly. 'My name's Leah. I – I know what you are… shape-shifters, I mean. It's just that… well, I'm like you. Only I, um, I transform into something else…' I was rambling, almost unaware of what I was saying. 'My pack and I are –' I broke off as the Jacob lion stood and began walking slowly and purposefully towards me. His steps were sure and deliberate, and as he moved, the other lions straightened up and watched him carefully with slightly bowed heads.

I heard a sharp intake of breath and looked around before realizing that it had come from me. In that moment, I understood another reason why the lion had reminded me so much of Jake. He had a certain strength to him – a strange sense of leadership that radiated from his being and made others sit up and take notice whether they liked it or not. I shook my head in confusion to try and clear the thought. Demetri had said that their leader was female.

The lion was circling me now, drawing my attention back to his movements as he drew nearer with every circle he walked. I wondered fleeting how the sight would appear to an outsider… _A young girl, surrounded by a pride of carnivorous lions, one of them circling her threateningly. The girl, probably scared out of her wits, waiting patiently for death to embrace her_… A small smile touched the corners of my lips – yes, that was exactly how it must have looked. I relaxed and drew up straighter. I had nothing to fear from my own species – we were protectors, designed to defend and not harm the innocent. That was why I was here, why I had undertaken this journey with Demetri in the first place.

Demetri. I stiffened as a dozen thoughts fired rapidly through my mind. _Crap! _I could feel my heart beginning to pound as I realized the possible implications of my stupidity. _Crap, crap crap! _Demetri had touched me. I'd let him touch me and then I'd left without washing in the river. I watched the lion's nostrils flare gently as he took in my scent. My scent that was now laced with Demetri's. It was only his thumb, but if the lions recognized his vampire stench… I swallowed the thought away as my arms flew upwards and a surge of dread rose inside of me. I pressed my forearms into my hips, hugging Demetri's scent against my skin, shielding him from the shape-shifters. Protecting him.

The lion with the red-brown mane didn't pause. He continued to circle me for a couple more seconds and then, apparently satisfied with his observations, he halted and looked up. His dark eyes, only metres away from mine, regarded me curiously. He didn't seem at all threatened by me or my scent. I tried to stem the rush of hope that charged through my chest but failed. My emotions, normally so carefully kept in check, were wreaking havoc inside my head. _He hasn't smelled Demetri_. _Demetri is safe... He's safe._

Though at the time I had been unaware of its presence, I knew now that the realization had been waiting patiently inside of me for several days: I wasn't going to kill Demetri. I wasn't going to let _anyone_ kill him. I would find a way to keep the lions safe from the Volturi without harming him. I felt enraged and guilty as the realization sank in. I hated myself for wanting to protect him. And most of all, I hated the fact that despite what he was, I didn't hate him at all. I furiously pushed away the thoughts as my eyes narrowed in determination. I tightened the grip on my hips and pushed my arms further into my skin. I would deal with my anger later. For now, all that mattered was that Demetri was safe. And I was damned well going to keep it that way.

The lion in front of me dipped his head, though he kept his eyes on me, and began to shake. The air around him shimmered in anticipation as his body began to stretch upwards. I watched, momentarily fascinated, as he phased back into a man. Suddenly aware of what I was staring at, I looked away embarrassed. I saw him bend down through the corner of my eye and untie something from his ankle. Looking around now, I noticed that the other lions all wore small cloth bags around their back right ankles. _Guess our packs are similar in more ways than one_, I thought briefly before starting at the sound of a deep, amused laugh.

I turned to see the shape-shifter in his human form grinning cheerfully at me. It was difficult to pinpoint his age. In some ways he could have been just a boy, but in many others he might have been a million years old. He was tall and muscular with a cautiously expressionless, yet somehow amused, face. A stark contrast adorned his appearance where his smooth, almost charcoal-colored skin met the dirty pair of khaki trousers he'd slipped on. I met his gaze; his eyes were exactly the same in his human form as they were when he'd been a lion. Though I failed to locate the source of his laughter, I smiled back tentatively.

'Hi,' I said.

His smile widened as he gazed at me for a second longer. Then, as he looked around at the other lions, his grin faded and a string of unintelligible words fired rapidly from his lips. He glanced back at me briefly and his voice took on a commanding edge as he spoke once more to the pack. One by one the lions stood and began to move quickly from the clearing towards the North. The man looked back to me and grunted, motioning with his hand to follow. Before I could comprehend his order, he'd started running behind the pack. I caught up easily and glanced sideways at him.

'You do speak English, right?'

The man fired another round of meaningless words in my direction.

'I guess not, then.' My thoughts swirled around in my head. Of all the things I'd considered, I hadn't exactly expected this.

I thought I saw a brief smile flash across the man's features, but other than that, he gave no indication that he'd heard me. The lions in front of us began to pick up their pace and as we settled into silence, I lost sight of them. The steady, regular thud of our feet as they hit the ground helped me to organize my thoughts. I tried not to dwell on the language barrier; I would wait to see where I was being led before I decided upon a suitable course of action. Instead I let my thoughts drift back to Demetri.

_Don't do anything stupid_, he'd said. Like what? Like telling the shape-shifters all about him and the Volturi and then organizing a vampire-hunt? Had he really suspected my plan? Surely not, I told myself. If he had, he wouldn't have let me come alone. Or maybe he had, and he was warning me, threatening me. _Don't do anything stupid_. Or else what? As far as our agreement was concerned, I was working with the Volturi now. What would Demetri have done if I had tried to kill him? I frowned as I contemplated that situation. I wondered whether I would have managed to finish him off. Even if my heart had been in it, Demetri was smarter than I'd initially given him credit for. _Well not to worry, Demetri_, I thought sourly, _I've already gone and done something stupid_. In my memories, his thumb moved slowly across my hip.

Caring about what happened to him definitely constituted 'something stupid'.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sights in front of me. Against the sunny horizon, I could see figures moving in the distance. Many of them were standing up tall enough to be in their human forms. I sped up urgently, inspiring another laugh from the man beside me. He matched my pace and we arrived in the midst of the figures some two minutes later.

I looked around me with uncontained intrigue. I caught brief glimpses of green canvas sheets strung up on conveniently located tree branches, forming a number of small tents. The shelters held little of my attention, though, as I felt twenty or so pairs of eyes trained on me. There were only two lions that I could see. Again, they were both males. The rest – men and women with skin as dark as the man beside me – stood tall and silent as they looked me up and down. A little unsure of myself, I took a step closer to the man that still reminded me so much of Jacob. Without looking at me, he placed his hand gently on my shoulder and gave me a light, reassuring squeeze. With his other hand, he pointed to his right, where a thick tangle of trees obscured any further sights. Speaking once more with a tone of authority, he conversed swiftly with a young woman standing next to one of the lions. She wore a number of colorful bangles up her wrists and nodded silently at the man's final words of instruction. Turning in submission, she walked in the direction he'd pointed and slipped through a narrow gap in the trees that I hadn't noticed before.

I heard a soft giggle and looked down to see a small child, perhaps two or three years old, crawling on her hands and knees towards me. A boy only a few years older than the girl ran up behind her and grabbed her hand in his. Then, pulling her to her feet, the two children walked over to me and gazed up at me with large, curious eyes. The boy dropped the girl's hand and reached up to touch mine. Our skin had barely made contact when a loud shout made him drop his hand. An older woman jogged up to us and picked up the little girl before narrowing her eyes at the boy. She spoke to him in the pack's foreign language and he hung his head in shame. Smiling apologetically at me, she took his hand and led him away. I smiled back at her retreating figure. She must have been the children's mother. A strange mixture of feelings swelled in my chest at I realized this. Being a mother meant that she couldn't have been a shape-shifter. I despaired slightly. Until now, I'd only seen male lions, and as far as I could tell, the man beside me was their leader. I couldn't help but wonder whether Tendai and Demetri had been wrong about the females.

I heard the trees to our right rustling and turned to watch as the woman with the colorful bangles returned. Behind her walked a girl who looked to be about my age. She was carrying a small bundle of white cloth and unlike the rest of the people around me, her skin was a light brown, perfectly matching her caramel eyes. Her long, dark hair was tied in a loose braid that hung across her left shoulder, falling gracefully on her simple, cotton dress. The girl looked up and met my gaze, smiling slightly as she did so. She was beautiful. The man's grip on my shoulder tightened momentarily before he realized what he was doing and quickly dropped his hand.

A movement behind the girl caught my attention before I could return her smile. My eyes were drawn down only a small distance to the large, majestic-looking lioness that had emerged from the trees. Silence fell around me as my breath caught in my throat. The shape-shifter walked towards me and as she did so, the man beside me retreated to join the rest of his people. I was under no more illusions. Though the Jacob lion had held a certain authority over the rest of the lions, I had no doubt that the lioness in front of me was their leader. She held herself with an aura of power that not even Jacob possessed.

I bowed my head unconsciously as the lioness, like the Jacob lion had done before her, began to circle me. I instinctively held my hips again, but relaxed when I realized that the shape-shifter was not examining me – the other lions had already done that for her. She was content to walk large circles around me, never drawing near enough to detect Demetri's scent. She was simply asserting her power; whether for my benefit or for that of her pack, I was unsure. Finally satisfied, the lioness returned to the tree-line where the young, lighter-skinned girl still waited. With her back turned to everybody, the lioness phased more quickly than I'd have thought possible. The girl handed her the bundle of cloth, which turned out to be a casually elegant white dress. The woman who'd materialized in the lioness's place slipped easily into the dress and then turned to face me.

I sucked in a sharp breath. The woman belonged on the pages of a fashion magazine. She was tall and slim, with hair cropped severely short. Like almost everyone else, her skin was deep ebony but her eyes were lighter than even the girl standing next to her. She looked no older than I did, but it was immediately evident that she'd lived far longer than I could even imagine in my wildest thoughts.

The leader of the lions lifted her chin proudly as she addressed me in her tribe's language. The words sounded like music from her lips and I felt suddenly very small.

The young girl next to her lifted her eyes back to mine and declared in a voice as musical as the lioness, 'Eve, the Lady of the Lions, wishes to formally welcome you to our tribe.'

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><p><strong>If any of you are keen on checking out any other fanfic stories, one of my faithful reviewers, Sandytoes919, has written two beautiful fics. I definitely recommend checking them out. And if any of you write fanfics, please drop me a line and mention them! I'd love to read the stuff that you guys write. Since all your reviews are amazing, I can only imagine how great your stories are :)<strong>

**Love you all :)**


	14. A Place In This World

It took me a moment to understand. Then, realizing what the girl had just said, my mouth fell open. 'You speak English?'

A flicker of fear momentarily crossed her face as she glanced nervously up at the woman she'd referred to as Eve. Rather than answer my question, she spoke in hushed tones to her leader, translating, I guessed, what I'd just said. Eve didn't look down at the girl as she responded in a cool, detached voice. The girl, who was now looking down at her feet, flinched as if she'd been slapped.

A flash of movement to the left of me caused me to swing around. The man who'd brought me here had taken a step towards the pair and was now standing rigidly with his hands curled into tight fists. His eyes blazed furiously as he glared at Eve. The rest of the tribe watched with cautiously passive faces. I turned back to face Eve, aware that something in my words had led to this reaction.

'Sorry, I –' I broke off, unsure what to apologize for. I took a deep breath and tried again. 'Thank you. For your welcome, I mean. It's an honor to meet you all.'

The girl relayed my words back to Eve, who nodded curtly in my direction. Then, with a few short words to the girl, Eve turned and pulled off her dress, phasing back to her lion self in one smooth, fluid motion. Without a backwards glance, Eve walked back through the trees. I watched as her dust-colored tail disappeared behind her, completely entranced with the way that she carried herself.

I gazed around me; an air of relaxation had descended upon the tribe since Eve's departure. Any tension that had been apparent in the last few minutes seemed to have disappeared. A few more smiles were thrown my way, and even the woman with the children had now set the two of them down and turned to talk to the man standing next to her. I looked back at the English-speaking girl, who was holding Eve's dress once more; her eyes were locked accusingly on the Jacob-lion. I hadn't even noticed him phase. When he noticed her staring at him, he turned abruptly and left.

As the lion walked away, the girl's face lost its cool composure and fragmented into a dozen broken expressions. Though subtle in its anguish, her expression was familiar – it was the face I'd seen a dozen times in the mirror. I swallowed and brought my fingertips gently to my cheeks. I hadn't looked at a mirror in weeks. Did I still look like that? I didn't think so. I wasn't whole; I never would be. But I didn't feel broken either. Just sort of stitched together. I chewed my cheek in contemplation – when had that happened?

The girl caught me watching her and after a brief pause, she motioned at me to walk over. I moved forwards hesitantly, feeling almost like an intruder.

'Hi,' I said softly as I neared her. 'I'm Leah.'

The girl didn't reply. Instead she turned and began to move in the direction of all the canvas tents that I'd noticed earlier. I followed her past the tents to another group that had been set up behind the first. I looked around me. These tents were a little larger than the first ones we'd walked past and were positioned in a perfect circle around a completely barren clearing about the size of a football field. The rest of the tribe was hidden from our sight now.

The girl stopped and turned to face me, drawing my eyes away from the tent. 'I'm Nattaya,' she finally said. She gave me a small, welcoming smile. 'It's nice to meet you, Leah.'

'I'm sorry if I got you in trouble this morning, Nattaya,' I said softly.

She looked at me sharply. 'What do you mean?'

I hesitated, reluctant to offend her, but curious enough to continue. 'When I remarked earlier on your ability to speak English,' I said, 'Eve seemed a little… put out.'

Nattaya appraised me quietly. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she eventually said, 'Eve doesn't like the fact that I can speak English. She would prefer me to conform to the ways of our tribe.' She faltered before continuing. 'This morning she was simply expressing her gratitude that she had at last found a use for my ability to speak your language.'

I considered questioning how exactly Eve had 'expressed her gratitude', but at the expression on Nattaya's face, I hurriedly asked, 'No one else in your tribe speaks English?'

She shook her head.

'How come?'

'I learnt it at school,' Nattaya replied, shrugging.

'Right,' I replied. I felt sorry for bombarding the poor girl with questions, but I was fascinated with her tribe and their dynamics. 'And the rest of your people didn't?'

Nattaya suddenly seemed very interested in a small rock on the ground that she began to nudge with her left foot. 'No one else in the tribe ever went to school,' she mumbled. Before I could register her answer and ask another question, Nattaya started forward towards one of the tents on our left. 'Eve instructed me to show you to your tent,' she said, pointing to the one in front of us.

I studied the shelter; a small piece of canvas lay at its base and another larger piece had been slung over a triangular formation of branches formed by two large trees that stood next to one another. This canvas formed the tent's three walls. The fourth lay open as a doorway. A long rectangular mat lay against the far end. 'Thanks,' I said gratefully. My backpack suddenly felt very heavy on my back and I slung it off onto the floor of the tent. Noticing another black bag next to my own, I asked curiously, 'So, who am I sharing with?'

Nattaya snatched the bag up. 'Sorry,' she said, giving me a slightly embarrassed smile. 'I would have moved out earlier if I'd realized you were coming.'

I frowned as I took the bag from her and set it back down. 'I'm not going to kick you out of your own tent, Nattaya! There's plenty of room for both of us,' I said, gesturing around.

Though Nattaya didn't seem convinced, she made no attempt to argue with me. She sat on the mat I'd noticed earlier and pulled her knees up to her chest. Cocking her head to the right so that her braid fell away from her left shoulder, she asked, 'So do you really turn into a lion as well?'

I shrugged. 'I sort of turn into a wolf instead.'

Nattaya's eyes widened dramatically as she digested my words. 'A wolf?'

I lifted my eyebrows briefly in confirmation as Nattaya mouthed the word 'wow'. Then suddenly I frowned. 'Speaking of me turning into a wolf,' I said, 'the guy who brought me here didn't even wait for confirmation before he phased in front of me. How did he know that I wasn't human?'

Nattaya chuckled. The sound was like a soft Christmas bell. 'I don't think that he did know,' she said. Then, smiling tenderly, she added, 'Jay just likes rebelling against Eve.'

Jay. So that was his name. _Not so different to Jacob_, I thought, smiling at the coincidence. 'And Eve would have been mad if I'd been human and he'd exposed your tribe,' I guessed.

'Furious,' Nattaya admitted.

'And yet Eve never asked me to confirm my claim either,' I said. 'In fact, she never even heard my claim. Neither did Jay, come to think of it, since you're the only person around here who can speak English.'

Nattaya swallowed loudly. 'Eve didn't need to hear your claim,' she told me. 'She has this ability to sense people's _power_, I guess you'd call it. She didn't need to see you shift to know that you have magic in your blood.'

I considered this for a second and wondered whether any of my brothers had the same ability. They wouldn't know if they did. Other than me, nobody else in our pack had ever met another shape-shifter to test it out on.

Nattaya looked as if she wanted to say something else but a shrill whistle outside the tent made her shut her mouth and leap to her feet. 'I have to go,' she said. 'Eve will want to speak with you later, though, so I'll see you then.'

Remembering what she'd said earlier, I called out. 'Nattaya?' She turned just as she was about to exit the tent. 'I don't care what Eve says: _I_ like the fact that you can speak English,' I said, grinning.

Nattaya grinned back. 'Thanks.' And with that, she disappeared outside.

I wanted to follow her and formally meet the other shape-shifters – there was still so much that I wanted to know – but I was too exhausted to move. Demetri and I had been living nocturnally for the last week and I knew that I needed to get a few hours sleep now, whilst it was still dawn, if I was to get back into a normal sleeping routine. I lay down beside Nattaya's sleeping mat and closed my eyes, thinking of everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. Only yesterday Demetri and I had been messing around in the river together. We'd lain in the sun and he'd told me that my brothers had found Salih's house. And that Sam was with them.

I ground my teeth together as I wondered how Emily felt about it all. Who was I kidding? I knew exactly how Emily felt. Exactly the same way that Sam did. Jacob was after me because he wanted to protect the pack's secrets from the Volutri. Maybe he didn't hate me, but he wasn't chasing me for the sake of any emotional reasons either. Jacob was sensible enough to know that I could look after myself. I didn't stop him when he ran away, and he wouldn't have come after me either if the Italian coven weren't involved. Sam, on the other hand, would have come after me whether vampires were involved or not. And the sick fact was that Emily would have encouraged him to do it. Because they were both motivated by the same ugly guilt that stemmed from the fact that they were arrogant enough to believe that Sam was the sole reason I'd run away. And they were both selfish enough to look past my wishes to try and ease it.

I sighed. In truth, I wasn't nearly as mad about it as I had been yesterday. Who cared if Sam was with Jacob or not? One extra wolf wouldn't make a difference. _I _knew why I'd left and that was all that mattered. Looking back now, I could see that Demetri had known all along too. If he hadn't, then he wouldn't have been able to convince me to accompany him on this journey in the first place. For the dozenth time since we'd parted, my stomach twisted itself into knots at the thought of him. What the hell was coming over me? It was odd trying to fall asleep without him next to me. I'd gone to bed with him by my side for so long now that this just felt wrong somehow. _No, not wrong_, I reminded myself quickly. _Just different._

But different didn't always feel good.

**(* * *)**

I finally got up around noon when my stomach started complaining so loudly that I was sure the rest of the tribe could hear it too. I'd slept in fits and starts, waking up every half hour or so since dawn. Stretching my arms high above my head as I yawned, I picked my way back through the tents to the place where I'd met Eve and the rest of the tribe earlier that morning. The place was empty except for Nattaya and the woman with the colorful bangles around her wrists, who both sat together with their backs turned to me.

'Hi,' I said uncertainly, trying not to startle them.

Both women sprang to their feet and twisted around to face me. 'Hey Leah,' Nattaya said, waving at me. 'How'd you sleep?'

'Yeah, not bad,' I lied, walking over to where they stood. I held my hand out to the other woman. 'I'm Leah,' I said. Then, knowing full well that she couldn't understand me, I continued. 'I don't think we've officially met.'

The woman was a little shorter than me, and quite muscular. For some reason, she reminded me of Paul. Clasping my hand in both of hers, the woman said a few words to me in her tribe's language. When she'd finished speaking, she gave my hand a quick squeeze and then dropped it gently.

'This is Chi,' Nattaya said, looking at me through her long lashes and smiling. 'She wants you to know that she is pleased to meet you and hopes that our tribes might learn much from one another.'

I glanced back at Chi to reply, but she was looking over my shoulder distractedly. I spun around to see a tall, extremely well-built man walking towards us. He was still a few hundred metres away, but I could just make out his features.

I frowned as I struggled to fit him into my memories. He didn't look familiar.

'Tapiwa was in his lion form when you arrived,' Nattaya said in explanation.

'Tapiwa?' I asked vaguely. I was distracted by the look on his face as he took in the sight of Chi. _He_ might not have been familiar, but the look in his eyes certainly was. My chest tightened as I recognized the signs. Glowing, laughing cheekbones; awestruck, smiling lips; eyes that took in only her… Tapiwa was looking at his imprint. It hit me that all along I'd been hoping that the lions weren't inflicted with the same wretched curse that had changed the lives of half the wolves in our pack. I tried to sound casual but my voice cracked as I asked, 'So your tribe imprints too, huh?'

Nattaya shot me a quizzical glance. 'Imprints?'

I swallowed. 'Tapiwa and Chi… The whole love at first sight thing.'

Nattaya chuckled but it wasn't difficult to detect the shards of pain that tainted the sound. 'Yes,' she replied. 'Chi is Tapiwa's _only_.'

'His only?'

Nattaya grimaced. 'It's a rough translation.'

I studied Chi curiously. There was no doubt in my mind that she was looking at the man she loved, but there wasn't the same urgency and desperation in her gaze that I'd seen in the faces of Sam and Jacob and now Tapiwa – the expression that made them look as if they were regarding another piece of their souls. 'And is Tapiwa Chi's _only_?' I asked.

'What do you mean?' Nattaya queried, frowning at me as she cocked her head to the side.

'I mean,' I said, 'that it's no good him imprinting on her when she clearly hasn't imprinted on him.'

The lines in Nattaya's forehead became more pronounced as I spoke. Somehow she still managed to look beautiful with her ever-deepening frown. 'Female tribe members do not imprint,' she said. 'They simply _love_.' She paused briefly and then asked curiously, 'Is it not the same in your tribe?'

'Yes. I mean no, I don't know,' I said shaking my head. As I spoke, Tapiwa approached us. I turned my head away as he and Chi intimately embraced one another, and then tried to smile as Nattaya introduced me. Tapiwa nodded his head at me in greeting, but in my distracted state, I was barely able to notice. Nattaya's words echoed in my mind. _Female tribe members do not imprint. They simply love_. For some reason, I wasn't surprised by her revelation. Maybe deep down, I'd always known as much. I felt relieved, as if a giant weight that I'd been unaware of until now had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. Out of nowhere, I remembered what Demetri had said to me about imprinting: _It just seems wrong, somehow – being forced to love someone. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of love_?

Nattaya's voice pulled me back to the present. I shook my head to clear it and then turned to see her watching me curiously. 'Sorry?' I asked.

She smiled gently. 'I just asked whether you'd like anything to eat.'

'Thanks, that'd be great,' I said, smiling back at her as I remembered my growling stomach for the first time since I'd woken up.

Nattaya led me towards the line of trees that she and Eve had materialized from this morning. The pathway leading through a gap in the entwining branches was surprisingly large, given that it was almost invisible to the unwary observer. As we emerged out the other side and I looked around, I couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. Though I had seen enough of Africa to appreciate its uniquely transparent beauty, I knew that this place was something special. Here, the river had narrowed into several streams that flowed swiftly into a large, open pool of water. Small trees and shrubs sprouted between the smooth, grey rocks that adorned the far side of the pool. Nearer to us, the water was bordered by a narrow stretch of sand that somewhat resembled the beach in La Push. A handful of tribe members paddled in the water, and even more – both males and females – lay sprawled in their lion forms on the rocks.

No one paid much attention to our arrival. Nattaya nudged me gently and pointed to a small square of canvas that lay on the ground near the tree line. I watched curiously as she crouched down to remove the material, revealing a small opening in the ground that led to a larger hole underneath. Bending down closer to the ground, she reached her arm into the opening and pulled out what looked like a dried leaf wrapped around an irregularly shaped loaf of bread. Nattaya handed it to me and then pulled the piece of canvas back over the hole.

I took the food gratefully and removed it from is wrapping. Then, breaking a small piece from the loaf, I placed it in my mouth and chewed slowly. The bread was doughy and soft, but surprisingly sweet. 'This is cooked in the ground?' I asked through mouthfuls.

'Yeah, the soil traps the sun's heat,' Nattaya told me. 'Chi's been making truckloads of the stuff. She's got a bit of a temper on her, but she's in the middle of quitting.' Nattaya grinned and then continued. 'Apparently baking helps to distract her.'

For a fleeting moment I remembered how Chi had reminded me of Paul. If her temper was anything like his then it was no wonder she needed distracting. The thought had barely crossed my mind when I considered the rest of what Nattaya had just told me. 'Quitting?' I asked intrigued. The term was unfamiliar to me.

'Yep. She's doing pretty well at it too, all things considered. Jay said it'd take her well over a year, but at this rate it looks as if she might even beat Megan.'

'Megan?' I asked weakly. I was well and truly lost now.

'Oh yeah, sorry,' Nattaya said. 'Megan is the woman you met last night with the two children. She took around eleven months to quit. Her husband, Chips, didn't make things easy for her though – he was against the whole thing from the start. Of course, he gave in eventually – guys tend to do anything for their only. He –'

'I'm sorry, Nattaya,' I said, cutting her off, 'but you've completely lost me.'

'Megan is Chips' imprint, or whatever you referred to it as earlier.'

'Yeah I got that much,' I said impatiently. 'But as for the whole 'quitting' side of things…'

Nattaya's lips formed a small 'o'. 'I guess our tribes use different words to describe things,' she said. 'Quitting is the process you go through to end your life as a lion – you know, like learning to quit phasing.'

'So that they begin to age again…' I trailed off.

Nattaya seemed a little perplexed by my confusion. 'Yeah.'

'Wait,' I said suddenly as the meaning of her words sunk in. 'Megan used to be a shape-shifter?' Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, 'But that's impossible – she has children!' I had long since resigned myself to the fact that I would never have children and the possibility that I was wrong was slightly overwhelming. It wasn't that I particularly wanted my own kids, but I had always resented the fact that the choice had been taken from me.

'Hence the reason she quit phasing,' Nattaya said gently. Given my ignorance, I didn't know how she managed to show so much patience with me without sounding patronizing.

'That's why Chi is quitting,' I clarified slowly. 'So that her and Tapiwa can have children.'

Nattaya smiled and nodded at me as things finally began to make sense.

'Wow,' I breathed. Then, grinning at her, I said, 'Your pack is far more interesting than mine.'

Nattaya laughed. 'I doubt it. Anyway, I guess we'll find out tonight.'

I lifted my eyebrows. 'Why, what's happening tonight?'

There was no disguising the anticipation in Nattaya's eyes, 'Eve returns from hunting, and then it's your turn to face the questions.'

Though I could understand Nattaya's eagerness to learn more about my pack, I couldn't bring myself to feel the same excitement that she did. Answering questions – especially ones that that concerned imprinting and shape-shifting – put me a little on the defensive side. I'd long ago made a habit of never getting myself into situations where I would have to answer personal questions; I never wanted to feel vulnerable. The trouble was, every detail concerning my pack was interwoven with personal facets of my life. There would be no way to answer them _without_ making myself vulnerable. I felt a sudden longing to be with Demetri again. He, at least, knew everything about me before we'd even met.

I smiled weakly at Nattaya. 'Great,' I mumbled through gritted teeth.

* * *

><p><strong>Found another great author for you guys to check out: Nakala (she's brilliant!)<strong>

**You're all absolutely amazing!**


	15. Another One of Demetri's Interruptions

**Hey beautiful readers,**

**So a couple of people mentioned that they're missing Demetri - Well, I can't give you any Demetri/Leah interactions (yet), so I thought I'd just give you Demetri. I know it's really short, but then again I only write these pieces to give me inspiration for the actual chapters.**

**Enjoy, and hopefully my next update will be coming your way soon :)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Demetri<span>**

The phone vibrated offensively in my hand. I had only to exert the smallest amount of pressure on its fragile casing and I would crush it to dust, silencing Aro's intrusions on my life. I sighed at the short-term effectiveness of such a solution and reluctantly uncurled my fingers' iron grip from around the phone. I brought it swiftly to my ear and pressed the 'answer' button.

'With reflexes that slow, anyone would think you were human,' Aro's slow Italian drawl greeted me.

'I was busy,' I replied in English. Leah was no longer with me and I saw no reason to converse with him in my adopted tongue.

'Ah, aren't we all, Demetri? Aren't we all?' Aro sighed softly, as if genuinely regretting the tiresome manner of his life. 'However, such as our lot in life dictates, we must persevere through the chaos, push away all the _distractions_, and strive to attain our goals.'

I stiffened at the implication in Aro's words. Though I didn't doubt what he was referring to, the knowledge did nothing to ease the tension that was building up inside of me. The last time I'd spoken with him, Aro had instructed me to refrain from feeding off humans. I hadn't been happy, and Aro had known it. He was still under the impression that I was fighting my thirst but, if Aro had any inkling of what my _real_ distractions were, then the threat in his words would bare a significantly higher degree of danger. I gritted my teeth together. It was danger that I was determined to keep Leah out of at all costs.

Years with the Volturi had taught me valuable control – every expression, every inflection of my voice, was carefully executed to gain the advantage in whatever situation I found myself in. Grateful for the chance to talk to Aro without him reading my thoughts, I kept my voice toneless. It was of the utmost importance that I did not raise his suspicions. 'Yes, Master.'

'What news of your task, Demetri?' Aro asked. I was one of his most trusted members of the guard, and he felt no need to disguise the curiosity and desperation that clawed at his question.

'I've located the lions,' I replied coolly.

There was a pause, and then a dark, delighted chuckle ran through the receiver. 'And the bitch?'

Venom swelled up in my throat but I kept my voice even. 'She is with the tribe now.'

I could almost picture Aro rubbing his hands together with glee. 'And I assume she is still against convincing them to trust us?'

'You know as well as I do that Leah would never speak well of us to the lions,' I said, pausing. 'No matter who she thinks she's fooling.'

Aro sighed heavily. 'Such a shame,' he clucked. 'I lament the actions we must now take, Demetri. Nevertheless, the girl has abused our trust, and, alas, it is now necessary to abuse hers.'

My left hand curled into a fist. Aro's plan had never involved Leah completing her task, and why would it when the chase was so much more appealing to him? Like it or not, the world was Aro's chess-board. I couldn't keep the world from losing, but I would make damned sure that Leah wasn't around to watch it. 'Yes, Master,' I said, moving my lips with great effort.

'How long?'

I ran my fingers through my hair. 'A few more weeks, at least,' I said.

'I need not remind you that time is of the essence, Demetri.'

'To humans, maybe,' I replied, determined to call Aro's bluff. I knew that the Volturi were a patient coven. He trusted my judgment; if I said a few more weeks were necessary, Aro would take that at face value.

'I'll give you six weeks. Keep me updated.'

'Yes, Master.'

'Goodbye, Demetri.'

I hung up and stared at the phone in my hand. I had to work hard to control the urge to throw the thing against the nearest tree. Carefully, deliberately, I slid the phone into my pocket and took a deep breath. _Six weeks_. I had six weeks to come up with a plan, and to get Leah back home safely. I threw my head back in frustration. That wasn't the difficult part. The difficulty lay in forming a plan that enabled me to complete Aro's task without Leah's involvement. And, without Leah's involvement, Aro's task was all but impossible.

I turned to watch dark rings of smoke sending billowing patterns up into the night sky some three kilometers away. My tracker's mind was acutely aware of the fact that Leah sat around that fire. I imagined her through the eyes of the other shape-shifters – flickering, orange flames lighting up her copper-colored skin in flashing exposures of brilliance. Would they notice her beauty? Would they notice her pain? Or was I the only person on earth so intensely aware of the broken angel from La Push?

My eyes never left the smoke rings until Leah got up and left – off to bed, I assumed. The question was: why did I care? Why was I doing everything in my power to save her from Aro? He had given me a home when Amun had destroyed the one I'd had. I _would_ finish his work, but I couldn't bring myself to use Leah as a means to do so. But why? I hadn't made a conscious decision to protect her, but nonetheless, my decision was made. I would protect her. Just like she was a piece of me.


	16. Hello

**Leah**

Sitting across the fire from where Eve was positioned, I watched the orange flames dance and flicker, illuminating only thin slithers of her face. There were others sitting with us, but I couldn't bring myself to tear my gaze from the tribe's leader. There was something about Eve – an essence I couldn't quite describe – that gripped me with fascination and awe, and perhaps even a little fear. And I wasn't the only one. When she was still and quiet – as she was now – with scornful pride etched into her features, the rest of the tribe followed suit. No one moved or spoke as the minutes ticked by; the sound of my breathing seemed unnaturally amplified in the small, silent gathering.

I heard a small cough and turned my head only slightly to see Megan place a hushing finger on the lips of her young daughter, who sat quietly on her lap. Her son was nowhere to be seen. Slowly I looked around at the other tribe members sitting in our tight circle around the fire. Megan and her daughter sat to my left, leaving a conspicuous space between her and Eve. To my right sat Tapiwa and another man I didn't recognize. Nattaya – the only one standing – shifted uncomfortably behind Eve. My eyes flickered up towards her face, but she was too busy staring down at the ground to notice. I studied the pair – easily two of the most beautiful women I'd ever met – and marveled at their differences. Nattaya's beauty was that of subtle and innocent naivety, whilst Eve's was strikingly harsh and independent. Somehow, I was able to find similarities in their features; yet when I tried to name them, they seemed to dance out of my reach.

A familiar voice broke through my thoughts and I twisted around to see Jay walking up behind me, with a boyish-looking companion. He was chatting to his friend, ignoring the rest of us, and fell silent only once they were both seated in the space between Megan and Eve. Though Jay's face was plastered with innocence, his companion kept shooting nervous looks towards Eve, who greeted them both coldly. When she turned to address the rest of the circle, I understood that we'd been waiting for Jay to arrive before we began. I remembered what Nattaya had said about Jay rebelling against Eve, and I couldn't help but wonder if he'd been late on purpose. I had to hand it to him – crossing Eve would take some guts.

Eve continued to address the circle for another half hour or so, pausing every few minutes to hear the replies to the unknown questions she was posing them. I was drawn by their language and their voices, mesmerized by my curiosity to know what they were saying. Eventually Eve's voice changed ever so subtly, and I instinctively knew that she was speaking to me. I locked eyes with the fearsome lioness, though it was Nattaya who was now speaking.

'Eve trusts that you have enjoyed your time with us so far.'

I nodded. 'I have, thank you.'

Nattaya relayed my reply to Eve in a subdued voice as I waited for her next question.

'How is it that you came to hear of our tribe?' Nattaya asked, her own curiosity seeping through Eve's question.

I swallowed. The question brought me up short, though it was one that I should have expected. My mind ran through the list of people that my answer could potentially incriminate – Demetri, whose hold on me I'd never anticipated; Salih, who I couldn't care less about; Tendai, whose life had been ruined by her father's affair with a shape-shifter and who had sent Salih to try and kill Eve and her tribe; me…

I took a deep breath. 'I ran away from my pack,' I said, deciding that the less lies I told, the better. 'My travels took me to Victoria Falls, where I heard a local legend concerning a woman who transformed herself into a lion. I am the only female shape-shifter in my tribe's history and the possibility of meeting another drew me to search the bushlands for the woman of whom they spoke.'

'And did you find her?' Nattaya asked, her words still guided by Eve.

'I'm sorry?'

'The woman of whom the legends spoke – did you find her?'

I stared at Eve whose eyes were slightly narrowed as she regarded me. I had the sudden feeling that she knew of the legends of which I spoke– or the _one_ legend to be more precise. As my mind mulled over the story Tendai had told Demetri and I, I realized that I may well have met her father's lover. It was a concept that hadn't occurred to me before; I had been so wrapped up in this other tribe that Tendai had barely entered my mind.

Honesty prevailing once more, I answered. 'I don't know.'

Nattaya's voice shook as she translated my answer, and I lifted my head to see her looking tense. She relaxed, however, as Eve's next question abruptly changed the topic. 'Did you travel alone?'

My mouth burned metallic as I bit the inside of my lower lip and tasted blood. 'Yes,' I said firmly, praying that nothing in my face would give me away.

No one gave any indication that I'd said anything out of the ordinary, and I breathed a sigh of relief, happier now to tackle the next question. This one I'd anticipated. Eve wanted to know why I'd left my pack, and I knew that the lions deserved an honest answer from me.

'I didn't belong in my pack,' I said. 'I resented them, and I guess that most of them resented me too. It was easier for everyone if I just left.' Surprise flooded through me as I managed to reply without the familiar stabs of pain accompanying my words.

I was grateful when Eve decided to leave it at that and move onto more general questions about the Quileutes. I spoke for what felt like hours, describing our rich history and legends. When I'd finished, her queries became more specific; every now and again one of the other tribe members threw in their own questions. I told the lions about our two separate packs, the leadership dynamics, our mind-sharing and healing abilities, and everything else in between. I carefully avoided mentioning the Cullens, fearing the questions that the topic might lead to; when the time was right, I would broach the subject of vampires – I had to if I wanted to warn them about Aro and the Volturi. But not now. I wasn't ready yet.

Sometime during my monologue, Megan's son appeared from one of the tents. Instead of walking over to his mother, he came up to me and flashed a smile that lacked its two front teeth. When I smiled back, he promptly sat down on my lap and fell asleep. I began to stroke his head almost unconsciously as I spoke and somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware of a protective instinct that rose up inside of me at the thought of the young future shape-shifter that was fast asleep in my lap. I smiled longingly. _Future_ shape-shifter. I wished someone had known that about me when I was younger.

When the subject of imprinting inevitably came up, it was Jay who asked the question. Eve's mouth set angrily in response as she stared into the fire. For some reason I couldn't understand, I got the feeling that she wanted to avoid the topic as much as I did. He wanted to know if I'd been imprinted on.

'No,' I replied, wishing suddenly that the questions would end. To my complete surprise, they did. Eve stood up, nodding once in my direction, and then turned and said a few words to Nattaya. With a sharp turn of her heel, she walked off into the darkness. A few murmurs ran through the circle and for the first time since I'd spoken about my pack, I turned to gauge everyone's reactions. All eyes were locked on me, and I could understand their fascination. As far as I could tell, they had been as unaware as I was regarding the existence of other shape-shifters.

One by one, people began to leave the circle. Eventually only Jay, Megan and I were left – Nattaya had left soon after Eve with the promise to see me back at the tent. Megan stood up, her daughter cradled in her arms, and walked over to me. With the skill only a mother possessed, she shifted her daughter into her right arm and reached for her son with her left. Gently, I handed the boy over. Megan smiled at me and nodded to each child in turn, saying 'Zara' and 'Simba' as she did so.

I smiled at the irony of a young lion named Simba and said softly, 'They're beautiful.'

Megan lent towards me and kissed me once on the cheek before walking towards her tent. I turned to see Jay watching me closely. When he caught my gaze, he frowned slightly as if confused about something. Finally, he too turned and left, leaving me alone with the dying fire. I watched the coals slowly burning out until eventually, their reds faded to grey. When there was no longer any fire to stare at, I tilted my head backwards to stare at the stars. The same stars that Demetri was staring at, that my pack was staring at… the lions, my mother, the Cullens, the Volturi, Tendai… we were all under those same stars. And yet I felt so alone.

I didn't understand it. I'd been by myself for over a year now. But this felt different. I felt empty and drained, and utterly _utterly _alone. I had been fine, even happy, in the company of the lions, but now that they were gone, the force of my loneliness was so sudden and unexpected that I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I had spent what felt like months building up to this point in my life, _convinced_ that meeting the lions would heal me and give me the home that La Push had denied me. The worst part was that I wasn't even disappointed with the lions. They were everything I'd hoped they'd be, yet there was still a hole inside of me that I knew even they could not fill. I swallowed the lump in my throat. It felt like my best hope at life was gone – if they couldn't complete me, I was terrified no one ever would.

I stood up and walked through the maze of tents towards where Nattaya and I were sleeping. When I arrived, she was fast asleep on the floor, having left the mat for me. I lay down and stared at the ceiling, praying for sleep to come. When it finally did, I dreamt of faceless figures from my past. I could see and hear them, but when I tried to communicate with them, they walked past me like I was invisible. Eventually, I realized that I was. I screamed out in desperation and my cry woke me, though the sound was muffled by my own arm which was pressed against my face. Hours later, when dawn came, I still hadn't slept another minute.

**(* * *)**

The next morning, after breakfast, Nattaya and I were sent out to collect firewood. We were about two hours into our task and the sun was beating down on my neck as I bent to add an armful of twigs and branches to our growing pile. The wood tumbled out of my hands, making a satisfying sound as it landed with the rest.

'I'm sorry,' I apologized, turning to Nattaya and thinking of how much quicker I could be if I phased. 'I'm probably slowing you down.'

She looked back at me and chuckled, insisting that I wasn't.

I arched my eyebrows skeptically. 'You could do this ten times quicker if you phased,' I said, though I valued her company too much to suggest that she actually did.

Nattaya stopped at stared at me in disbelief. 'If _I_ phased?' she asked. 'Leah, I'm not even a shape-shifter!'

My mouth fell open. 'Seriously? I just assumed… I thought everyone in your tribe was a shape-shifter – except the ones who've quit, of course.'

'Everyone _is_,' Nattaya responded, her voice tinged with a sudden sadness. My heart felt heavy as I heard the agony in her voice.

'Except you,' I finished softly, frowning.

'Except me,' she echoed.

I reached out and gently took Nattaya's hand, trying to comfort the sad, beautiful girl in front of me and ease the hurt that I so frequently saw dancing its way across her features. 'I'm sorry,' I whispered.

She looked up at me and tried to smile, though the corners of her lips shook dangerously as she tried to be strong. 'You and I are the same, Leah,' she eventually said. 'Neither of us belongs in our tribes.'

I considered this for a moment – Nattaya and I were both the odd ones out in our tribes. Nattaya, an outsider because she didn't phase; and me, an outsider because I did. 'I guess you're right,' I said, giving her hand a small squeeze. 'Is – is that why Eve treats you differently?' I asked hesitantly, thinking suddenly of the servant-like role that Nattaya seemed to adopt in Eve's company.

'Eve is gracious for allowing me to stay with the tribe at all,' Nattaya responded.

'How can you say that, Nattaya?' I cried. 'Just because she can phase and you can't doesn't mean that she's any better than you!'

Nattaya pulled her hand away and walked a few metres to a small ant mound. Sitting at the top, she wrapped her arms around her knees and stared out into the distance, gazing at something visible to only her. I followed and sat down next to her, studying her face carefully as a frown etched itself into mine.

'My mother betrayed the tribe,' Nattaya eventually said. 'Eve had no obligation to allow me back… But she did.'

I looked at her questioningly, but didn't speak; I simply waited for her to continue if she chose to. A few minutes passed before she did.

'The legends you heard in Victoria Falls,' Nattaya said, 'spoke of my mother. She gave our tribe's secret to a human, and then fell pregnant to the same man. When she found out that she was with child, my mother left the tribe. She wanted to raise me with the man she loved.'

I sucked in a breath. 'Then Tendai…' I trailed off.

'Is my half-sister,' Nattaya finished for me. Before I could ask her, Nattaya said, 'No, Tendai does not know that her father fathered another child. By the time that my mother arrived in Victoria Falls, he was dead. My mother raised me in the town, sending me to an English school and teaching me my tribe's language at home. When she died just over a year ago, I set out to try and find the lions.'

'Wow,' I breathed. I wasn't sure whether or not to voice my opinions, but not being one to keep my mouth shut, I eventually said, 'I still don't understand why Eve treats you the way she does.'

Nattaya looked at me through the corners of her eyes. 'Eve is a good leader,' she said. 'But everything she does is shaped by her past.'

I frowned. 'Her past?'

Nattaya stood up, clearly reluctant to continue. 'Come on,' she said. 'We'd better head back soon.'

It took the two of us another few hours to transfer all the wood back to the camp. When we were done, both Nattaya and I collapsed in the shade of a tree, hiding from the sun's burning rays. The place was buzzing with activity. As we lay there for the next few minutes, I studied the tribe members, wondering if any of the others had stories as interesting as Nattaya's. Many of them threw us passing glances and smiles, and for a moment I tried to put myself in Nattaya's shoes. I imagined what it was like being a member of such a complex and culturally-rich group, watching them phase and quit and transform and knowing that you could never truly be a part of that. I had always resented the fact that I was a shape-shifter, but I could understand why Nattaya might resent the fact that she wasn't.

I caught sight of Jay, who was watching me with the same confused look he'd had last night. After a moment's indecision, he seemed to make up his mind and wandered over to where we sat. I glanced over at Nattaya, who stiffened as he approached. 'I'm going to go and see if I can help with lunch,' she said hurriedly, before standing and hastening away.

Jay watched her go with a strange expression on his face. When she disappeared from sight, he turned to me. 'Come,' he said.

I frowned and stood, guessing that he'd picked up the word from Nattaya. Jay led me along the river bank, not saying another word until we were a good half-hours walk from the camp. Sitting down against a tree, he gestured for me to do the same.

'I've got a few more questions for you,' he said once I'd joined him on the ground.

My eyes widened before narrowing slightly. 'I thought you didn't speak English.'

'You're not alone in that thought,' he said briskly. 'Now will you answer my questions or not?'

'Uh, I guess so?'

'How many members of your pack have imprinted?' he asked, getting straight to the point.

I jolted, slightly taken aback by his line of questioning. 'Five,' I answered reflexively. 'Why?'

'Out of?'

'Seventeen.'

Jay swore under his breath before continuing. 'How many are in love with someone they haven't imprinted on?'

'I don't know,' I said, 'None, I guess.'

'Why?' Jay pressed

The questions were coming hard and fast, and my head was spinning slightly. 'I don't know, Jay,' I sighed. 'What does it matter?'

'Please answer the question, Leah,' he pleaded.

There was a quiet desperation in Jay's eyes, and that more than anything made me answer him. 'I guess everyone's terrified of falling in love and then imprinting on someone else.'

Jay looked slightly aggravated as he began to fidget with a large rock that lay at his feet. 'Has that… has that happened before?'

I could feel my defensive walls priming themselves, ready to snap down at a moment's notice. 'Yes,' I said.

'What happened?'

'He left me to marry my cousin.'

Jay's head snapped up and he eyed me sharply. As my words sunk in, his face softened. 'I'm so sorry, Leah.'

I was surprised by the heartfelt sympathy in his voice, but I tried to brush it aside. 'Yeah well, these things happen,' I said in clipped tones. Then, trying to change the topic, I said, 'I still can't believe you speak English.'

Jay looked away. 'Nattaya taught me,' he said. After a long pause, he added, 'Sometimes it's nice to be able to talk to the girl you love in a language that nobody else understands.'

In a moment, everything fell into place in my mind. All the strange expressions that had passed on the faces of Jay and Nattaya began to make sense – the way he'd angrily defended her when Eve chided Nattaya for speaking English, the broken expression on Nattaya's face when Jay had turned and left… 'You love Nattaya,' I whispered.

He smiled bitterly. 'Sometimes love isn't enough though is it?'

I reflected on the questions Jay had just asked me. I wanted to lie and say that it was, but instead I told him honestly, 'No, sometimes it's not.'

Jay swallowed as he struggled to get the next question out. 'When your boyfriend imprinted on your cousin, was there ever any chance that he could have –?' He broke off.

I shook my head slowly. 'No, Jay. Once you imprint, you don't have a choice.'

With a deafening crack, Jay threw the rock at the tree across the river from us. As the rock rolled back to land in the water with a large splash, the tree split straight down the middle. 'I know who I love. I've made my choice,' he yelled angrily. The volume of his voice dropped in exhausted surrender. 'I just wish that my body would make the same one.'

My heart broke for the man sitting next to me, who'd fallen in love with Nattaya, but hadn't imprinted on her. I thought back to how Demetri had called Sam a coward. At the time, I didn't understand what he'd meant. Sam had broken my heart, but he'd never really had a choice. If Jay imprinted, he wouldn't have any other choice but to break Nattaya's heart either. But, looking at him now, I knew that Jay would at least fight for her, which was more than Sam ever did. I looked at Jay and wondered if this was the face of a brave man.

We sat in silence for what felt like hours. Eventually Jay turned to me. 'That also happened to Eve, you know,' he said.

I cocked my head to the side. 'What did?'

'The man she loved imprinted on somebody else.'

I sucked in a sharp breath but didn't reply.

'It's why she hates me,' Jay continued. 'Eve's always been the alpha, for as far back as our histories date. She banished that man and his imprint from her tribe. They formed their own pack, and that man became the Alpha of the new tribe. Years later he and his imprint quit phasing to fall pregnant.' He paused and then said, 'They were my parents.'

I didn't know what to say in response. 'You're part of Eve's tribe now though,' I eventually said.

'No,' Jay said. 'The four lions that were with me when we met are the members of _my _tribe. We have wandered these lands alone for centuries. Nattaya is the only reason that we are staying now with Eve.'

'Nattaya won't leave Eve?' I guessed.

'I cannot ask that of her,' Jay said angrily. 'Eve has made sure of that; she has issued an Alpha command that no lions may have a relationship with someone other than the person they've imprinted on. Her command has been in existence ever since my father left her.'

'But you're not part of Eve's pack,' I pressed. 'And Nattaya is not a shape-shifter. Eve's commands don't affect either of you.'

Jay smiled humorlessly. 'That is one difference I noticed last night when you told us of your pack. Your two packs are separate by choice. My tribe is separate from Eve's only because she banished my father. I suppose that that is the difference. Though he formed a new tribe, whose mind connections are separate from those of Eve's tribe, she still held her Alpha position over him. And now she holds it over me. Every command she gives, I have no choice but to obey.'

I wondered whether I'd issue a similar command if I'd been my pack's Alpha. I sighed, 'You can't blame Eve,' I said quietly. 'Not until you've walked in her shoes.'

Jay stood up angrily and pointed a fierce finger in my direction. His whole body was shaking. 'You sound just like her,' he said.

'Like who?' I asked, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. 'Eve?'

'No, like Nattaya. I'm so sick and damn tired of all this crap about feeling sorry for Eve.'

I couldn't keep calm any longer. 'Do you think I don't understand how unfair imprinting is?' I yelled at him. 'That I don't know how it tears our choices away and makes us prisoners of its curse? I getit, Jay. Hell, I've _lived_ it. But since when has life ever been fair?'

All of a sudden, Jay's anger evaporated, exposing the pain that had fueled it. He slumped back down next to me, completely drained of energy. 'I'm sorry,' he said. Turning to me with only a flicker of hope in his eyes, he asked, 'Will you speak to her for me, Leah?'

'Nattaya?'

Jay nodded. 'Nattaya loves me back. I know she does. But she says it's too difficult – she asked me to stay away from her, Leah. And… and I don't know how to do that.'

I thought of the tension that seemed to fill the air whenever the two of them were near one another, and I began to understand it. 'I don't know if I can,' I eventually said. 'If Sam had stayed away from me, maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much when he left me. Maybe Nattaya's right, Jay – maybe it's easier for you to just leave her alone.'

Jay shook his head in protest. 'No,' he said, standing up once more and backing away from me, still shaking his head. 'You're wrong, Leah. There must be a way for me to make this work. There _has_ to be.' He spun around and began to run, phasing before he'd taken even a dozen steps.

A loud sob rose in my throat and I froze at the sound. I didn't think it was possible for me to hate imprinting more than I did already, but the anger and sadness that began to boil inside of me felt stronger than it had in a long time. I watched as my hands began to tremble. The freedom of choice was only thing that all creatures had going for them no matter how bad their life was. And it was the one thing that had been taken away from all of us. I couldn't stay with the lions no matter how much I already loved so many of them. And I couldn't go back home. I had to get away from the hopelessness of a life of shape shifting – cut all ties – or else I would end up like Eve: bitter and alone and trapped in eternity. And who knows how many more friends I would have to watch being dealt the same fate I'd been given.

The tremors in my hands began to travel up my arms, until eventually they racked throughout my entire body. I couldn't find it inside of me to care anymore. With a deep breath, I quickly undressed and used a piece of string I carried around to tie my clothes to my ankle. Then, feeling the relief of release, I phased.


	17. Arms

**Hey guys,**

**Before you read this chapter, PLEASE go back and read the end of the previous chapter - I've added a little to it based on some fantastic advice I received in my reviews. Seriously everyone, thank you so much for the reviews; I can't even begin to tell you how much they help and motivate me. I hope you all feel that I've taken them on board throughout this story. Call me biased, but I think I have the BEST bunch of readers out of all the authors on this site :)**

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><p>Quil and Embry were in my head, but I pushed myself to keep running. They yelled at me and battered me with questions, but I didn't reply. My mind was so occupied that it wasn't difficult to ignore them. I wasn't paying attention, but I was vaguely aware that they couldn't get in touch with Jacob to tell him to phase and order me home. Consequently, I didn't care that they could more than likely pick up my own stray thoughts and piece together the fact that I was in Southern Africa. With any luck, it wouldn't matter by the time they arrived here.<p>

I didn't know where exactly I was running, but I knew what I was running towards. Demetri told me that he'd catch up with me the next time I was unaccompanied, and I was doing my utmost to get as far away from any company as possible. The kilometers flew beneath my feet. Ten, twenty, one hundred… Eventually I ground to a halt and calmed down enough to phase back to my human form. I dressed hurriedly then began walking until I found the cool shade of a large tree. I paused beneath it and began to wait. I wasn't sure that Demetri would come, but I tried not to let the possibility enter my mind. I missed him. The realization that it was nearing the time for us to part ways for good had allowed me to admit as much. Without it, I knew that I would have gone on pretending that he didn't mean as much to me as he did.

I wasn't even sure what I was going to say to Demetri – how I would make him leave without the lions' trust. But I had to try. I was banking on the fact that my brothers' newfound knowledge of our general location would be enough to sway him. No matter what Demetri said, he was in danger as long as my pack was in his vicinity. And as long as he was around, the whole of Eve's tribe was threatened.

I jumped as a soft thud behind me woke me from my planning. Though quiet enough to hide from the sensitivity of human ears, it stood out clearly from the breaths of nature that surrounded me. I spun around to find myself swimming in a pool of liquid topaz. Slowly, I watched as the rest of the scene began to focus itself around the striking depths of color. I saw the thick, dark lashes that framed them, and the pale olive stone against which they were set. My eyes travelled over the waves of ebony that fell against strong features, and then down the lean, muscular arms that glittered in the sun's rays. I had barely finished this assessment when my eyes were drawn instinctively back to his.

'You've been hunting animals,' I greeted Demetri.

He laughed and the familiar sound sent nervous jolts of electricity through my body. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it. 'What did you expect?' Demetri asked, still chuckling. 'That I'd been massacring entire cities in your absence?'

'Yeah, I kinda did,' I grimaced, not realizing the truth of my words until I'd said them.

'I could amend that if you'd like.'

I froze for a second before realizing that Demetri was joking. 'I'd massacre you before you got the chance,' I told him. 'Besides,' I teased, 'you suit brown eyes.'

Demetri grinned, 'Oh, well in that case…'

I laughed. It was amazing how being in his company was enough to lighten my mood. Though I knew it couldn't last, it was nice to smile in the midst of this whole mess.

Dropping his voice to a more serious tone and looking me straight in the eye, he said, 'It's good to see you, Leah.'

There was a short pause as Demetri waited for me to respond. I wanted to tell him that it was good to see him too, but the words seemed to stick in my throat. Without thinking about it, I began to walk. Demetri fell into step at my side and glanced toward me. 'So, how've you enjoyed your stay with the lions so far?' he asked casually.

I stared at my feet. 'It's been… good,' I said, cringing at the vagueness of my reply. The truth was, when the answer to a question was as incredibly complex and inexpressible as my own, it sometimes happened that one word sufficed infinitely more than a clumsy attempt at a well-rounded answer.

''_good'_,' Demetri echoed. 'Which means _what_ exactly?'

He was edging closer to me as we walked, his arm almost brushing against mine. Stubbornly, I moved further away. An almost-physical ache swept through me as I did so, and I caught my breath at its intensity. 'Get a dictionary, leech,' I muttered, trying to spit as much venom into the word as possible.

Demetri wasn't fooled. He took a sideways step towards me and nudged my shoulder gently. 'And here I was thinking we were past all the leech insults.'

I looked up into his beautifully clear expression and couldn't help that my lips lifted into a slight smile. 'Sorry,' I mumbled.

Demetri laughed again, and a bird in a nearby tree flew off in fright. 'It's alright. I'll forgive you,' he assured me. 'But only if you give me a more detailed description of your last two weeks. What are the lions like?'

I pressed my lips together. So much of me wanted to open up to Demetri and tell him all about my time with the lions, and share with him the things I'd learned. I couldn't explain why I wanted so badly to share this part of my life with him, but when it came down to it, I knew that I couldn't. I thought of the lions' secrets in the hands of the Volturi and shivered.

Reading my hesitation, Demetri widened the gap between us once more. 'You're not going to talk?'

I shook my head slowly, hoping he'd understand. I couldn't believe I was feeling so guilty about remaining tight-lipped. 'It's not my place to share information about the tribe,' I said. 'If I convince them to trust you, then it should be their choice whether or not to open up to you and let you in.'

Demetri stopped walking and turned to face me. 'You still don't trust me, Leah, do you?' he asked. His expression was statue-like, giving me no indication as to the thoughts behind his question.

'Don't you get it?' I yelled, a sudden surge of anger rising in my chest. 'There is no _you_, Demetri. There's just me versus the Volturi! And no, I do not trust them.' I struggled to bring my voice back under control. 'Your coven might think that you can gain the lions' trust, but you will never gain mine.'

Demetri didn't reply. He simply turned his back to me and began to walk once more. I watched his retreating figure and felt the ache rise up inside of me once more, even more pronounced than before. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in. The worst part was that I so badly wanted to trust Demetri. It would be so easy to forget all my doubts and fears and give into the eyes that proclaimed topaz lies so innocently.

When I opened my eyes, Demetri was standing in front of me again. I hadn't even heard him return. The breath hitched in my throat in response to his close proximity.

'I'm sorry I walked off,' he whispered. Then, his gaze intensifying, he asked, 'You're not planning on holding up your end of the deal, are you?' It wasn't a question so much as it was a statement.

I began to shake my head. I couldn't lie to the man standing in front of me.

'Right…' Demetri said slowly, his cold, sweet breath swirling around my head and making me dizzy. 'So are you ready to go home then?'

'That's it?' I cried in disbelief, ignoring his assumption that I would ever go back home. It shouldn't have been this easy. 'After all of this, you're just going to let me go?'

Demetri shrugged. 'Honestly, Leah, I couldn't care less about the shape-shifters joining forces with the Volturi. That's Aro's desire, not mine. My job description extended only as far as bringing you here.' He paused. 'The rest was up to you.'

I shook my head. 'That's not how the Volturi works, Demetri, and you know it. You're supposed to hurt me. Or threaten me… anything to force my submission.'

I didn't see it coming. In a split second, Demetri had my hands locked behind my back. His teeth were held precariously just a few millimeters above the edge of my throat. 'Convince the shape-shifters to trust us,' he threatened in a low, dangerous voice, 'or you won't survive the night.'

I twisted myself from his grip – surprised at how easy it was to break his hold – only to turn and see Demetri smiling. 'There,' he said in a self-satisfied voice. 'I threatened to kill you, but you fought me off. What more could I have done?'

I rolled my eyes though I couldn't help but laugh at his dramatic antics.

Demetri smiled back at me, but his eyes were serious. 'You're right,' he said. 'This isn't how the Volturi works. But I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do, Leah. Maybe I would have once. But not anymore.'

I stared at him. 'Aro will be mad,' I said.

'Probably.'

I didn't want to ask him, but I had to. 'Mad enough to hurt you?'

Demetri's voice took on a softer tone. 'He won't kill me, Leah, if that's what you mean. I'm too valuable to him.'

I nodded, but images of Demetri's crumpled body lying on the floor in front of Jane flooded my mind. How much of that would he have to endure if he returned to Italy without the lions' trust? I couldn't wrap my head around that fact that he was willing to let me go without fulfilling my promise to talk to the lions. That he was more willing to suffer Aro's wrath than to hurt me.

'I'm sorry, Demetri,' I said quietly.

'No you're not,' he told me. 'And I'm not either.'

I stared into his eyes for a long moment. Eventually, I blinked and looked away, asking, 'Do you mind if we sit down?' More than anything, I just wanted to sit still and forget the fact that the world around me was moving. Sitting down with Demetri in a sea of empty bush-land might let me believe, if only for a moment, that we were the only two souls on earth. If it was just me and him, trust wouldn't matter.

'Sure,' Demetri replied, setting himself down on the ground before the word had left his lips.

I sank down beside him at a much more human pace and stared out into the distance. We sat like that for a long time – me hugging my knees to my chest and Demetri, sprawled out in the sun. Neither of us felt the need to break the silence.

Demetri was the one to eventually speak. 'Tell me about the lions, Leah,' he said, his voice just a breath of air. 'Just generally I mean – I understand that you can't tell me any specifics. But… I wanted to know – did you find what you were looking for?'

'Are you asking as Demetri or as the Volturi?'

He raised an eyebrow, but there was no accusation in his voice. 'You made it clear there was no distinction.'

I chose to ignore Demetri's remark. There _shouldn't _have been a distinction, yet every second I found myself drawing a clear line between him and his blood-thirsty coven. I decided to answer his question honestly. 'They're mostly a tribe just like the Quileutes,' I told him, 'full of conflict and angst, but bonded you know? Though it sometimes hurts one of them to do so, they all work together to maintain the strength of the tribe.' I shrugged. 'The more I think about it, the more I realize that they're human… just like the rest of us.'

I expected some smart remark from Demetri, but he just stared at me with a slight frown on his face, like he was trying to figure me out.

'There's this girl I've met,' I continued with barely a breath. The words were out of my mouth before I'd even had a chance to choose them. 'Her name's Nattaya. She's Tendai's half-sister.'

Demetri shifted slightly at this announcement and lifted his head in interest. I couldn't explain why I was telling Demetri about her. Perhaps I was just stalling, putting off saying goodbye, but I knew that there were other reasons too. Like it or not, Demetri and Nattaya had both gained such an important hold on my life in such a short period of time, and it seemed like a way for me to reconcile the two of them with one another. Before I knew it, I'd told Demetri all about my beautiful, broken friend. The Volturi already knew all about imprinting and I couldn't find a reason to keep the source of her pain from Demetri. When I got to the part about Jay loving Nattaya but not imprinting on her, Demetri stiffened. I looked up at his face to see a strange mixture of anger and disgust – a replica of the expression he'd worn when we'd discussed Sam's imprinting.

'What is it?' I asked softly, half-fearing what he'd say in reply.

Demetri didn't speak for a long time and I began to wonder if he'd reply at all. Just as I was about to change the subject, he spoke through gritted teeth. 'He's so worried about imprinting on someone other than the girl he loves, but what if it's the other way round? What if the girl he loves imprints on somebody other than him? How does _he _live with _that_?'

I cocked my head to the side and frowned, trying to understand where his question was coming from. 'Female shape-shifters don't imprint,' I said slowly.

'They don't? How –?'

I shrugged. 'I don't know, but apparently we don't.'

A short, surprised burst of laughter erupted from Demetri's lips. 'Females don't imprint,' he repeated triumphantly, the anger wiped from his expression. '_You _won't imprint!'

I frowned. 'So?'

'So nothing,' Demetri grinned, back to his old self once more. 'But I like you, Leah – the way you are _now_. I can't stand the thought of you being wiped away by some freakish impersonation of yourself.'

My eyes narrowed. 'Somebody can still imprint on me,' I said, though I found the thought repulsive. It was difficult to remember a time not so long ago when I'd almost welcomed the idea.

'Yes,' Demetri replied, his eyes sparkling. 'But you wouldn't give into them – not unless you truly loved them back.'

Absolute certainty radiated from Demetri in almost-touchable waves, enveloping me in a sense of peace. I knew it was wrong, but it comforted me that he liked me the way I was. Most would welcome the change in my character if I imprinted and I guess that part of me found it hard to blame them.

Demetri reached out and took my hand, gently peeling it away from where it held my knees up against my chest. He began to turn it over in his – feeling it, studying it. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to steady my breathing. There was a time when I would have flinched away from his touch, but now, even as I hated myself for thinking it, I felt as if his hand was the only thing anchoring me to the earth. His fingers were icy, but rather than making me cold, it only increased my awareness of the heat that flowed through the rest of my body – like _my_ temperature was the unnatural one and his was somehow _right_.

'What are you thinking about?' Demetri all but whispered as he began to stroke the back of my hand with his thumb. I opened my eyes and stared at our intertwined hands, shocked to see the way that mine had wrapped itself around his.

'I'm trying not to,' I murmured, not trusting myself to look up into Demetri's eyes.

I thought I heard him utter the words 'me too', but it was so soft that I couldn't be sure.

After a while, Demetri used his other hand to lift up my chin, forcing me to look at him. 'You look tired,' he announced, a small frown beginning to play on his features.

'I haven't been sleeping well.'

Demetri's frown deepened as he dropped his hands from both my chin and my hand. I bit back the protest that threatened to escape my lips, but there was no need. No sooner had he let go of my hand when Demetri's arm draped itself around my shoulders. I allowed myself to be pulled along as he lay us down and hugged me against his body. Every part of me wanted to pull away, and still every part of me wanted to wrap my arms around him instead and snuggle further into his embrace. I settled for something in between – freezing with my arms held stiffly at my side, but staying. Against every reason my head screamed at me. This was wrong, dangerous even. Yet I stayed.

I could feel neither my own heat nor Demetri's coldness; all I was aware of was the strength of the arms that held me. And I suddenly knew who had stitched me together and why the lions hadn't been enough to complete me. I knew this and my heart broke. Because Demetri was wrong for me, and if he was the only one who made me feel complete, then I was as far away from being whole as I was on the day that Sam left me.

'Sleep, Leah,' Demetri whispered in my ear, his voice soft and comforting. I felt my resistance slowing beginning to slip away. I looked into his eyes and caught my breath as I realized how close his face was to my own. I hadn't been this close to anyone since Sam, but it was impossible to consider that fact with Demetri's scent overwhelming even corner of my mind. I took a deep breath in. It didn't' repulse me like it should have – the way it once had. Like the after-burn of peppermint, his scent was sharp and confronting, yet somehow not unpleasant.

Demetri reached up and brushed my eyelids shut with his thumb. A fleeting memory danced through my mind of the time Demetri stopped me phasing by grasping my hands with his. At the time I'd been powerless to resist his effect on me and I could feel the same thing happening now. What was a couple of hours' delay? Even if my brothers boarded a plane within the hour, the flight from Egypt was still a day long. I knew I'd regret this later when Demetri let me go and my head became clear once more. But for the moment, I needed his arms to hold me in once piece. I didn't try to put a name to the feelings running through me. All I knew was that I was home – at least for a moment – and I wasn't going to ruin that with a label.

I closed my eyes and felt my body slowly relax. For what felt like the first time in weeks, I allowed sleep to take me away.

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><p><strong>One more thing: I don't know if anyone has ever noticed before, but I name all of my chapters after the songs that inspire them. The reason I'm telling you this now is that the song I was listening to when I planned this chapter (about 3 months ago) was 'Arms' by Christina Perri, and it's basically inspired the story from here onwards... So, if you have any spare time, check it out :)<strong>


	18. Breaking Your Own Heart

My body reacted before my mind did. It was reflex. Natural. _Instinct_. In a second I had leapt from Demetri's embrace and flattened my back against the nearest tree.

'Leah?' Demetri asked, concern flashing across his face as he jumped to his feet. 'Are you alright?'

'I –' My heart rate slowed as my thoughts caught up with the rest of me. 'I'm fine,' I stammered. 'I'm just not used to waking up… like that.'

'In the arms of a leech you mean?'

'Something like that,' I mumbled, embarrassed by my reaction. I didn't want to look Demetri in the eye, but I reminded myself harshly that thoughts like that were weak. And weak was something I refused to be. So, stiffening my resolve, I lifted my chin defiantly and looked straight at the man who'd somehow made me think and do things I'd sworn I never would. I remembered how he'd held me as I fell asleep and how I'd known all along that I'd regret it once I woke up. But no matter my regret, looking at Demetri now, I knew that I'd make the same decision twice. Because I was wrong. I _was_ weak. Weak enough that I'd depended on him – _needed _him – to keep me from falling apart.

I glared at Demetri. Not because I despised him, but because I despised myself – everything I'd learned, every promise I'd made myself after Sam, was crashing down around me. Where was the girl who knew bloodsuckers for who they truly were? Who relied on only herself and who wasn't afraid to be alone? Where along the line had I lost her? I had to believe that it wasn't too late to go back. I couldn't _let_ it be too late.

The thing with caring about someone was that it lifted you to the highest cliffs, where everything is good and beautiful. But you're always one step away from falling into the depths below. One gust of wind can throw you over the edge. One slip and you're drowning. But being alone is different. You never reach the cliffs. You're always stuck on dry land at the water's edge. But at least you're dry. At least you're safe. That's all I wanted. Safe. Where nobody could hurt me.

Demetri took a step towards me, but I quickly moved backwards to maintain the distance between us. The hours of peace I'd spent in his arms were over. I'd had my moment of weakness, and now I was making a decision to give the old Leah a fighting chance at survival. So what if she had been bitter? At least she was never vulnerable. A strange emotion set Demetri's eyes on fire as I moved away, but he quenched it before it could betray his thoughts.

I was grateful when he didn't try and take another step towards me. For a moment it seemed as if he was about to say something else, but instead he told me what I already knew. 'Your pack is on their way.'

I looked at the sun, which was only just beginning to set. I couldn't have slept for more than two or three hours, which meant that my brothers were still a good sixteen or so hours away. 'I know,' I said. 'Which is why you need to leave.'

Demetri's eyes narrowed. 'What about you?'

'I'm going back to the shape-shifters,' I told him with as much conviction in my voice as I could muster.

Demetri's eyebrows pulled together. 'You're planning to stay with them?'

'No, I'm going to say goodbye,' I said. Each moment I spent with Demetri was making it harder for me to want him to leave. And that scared the hell out of me. Forcing my voice to harden, I continued. 'Look, Demetri, we've already established that this errand is over. Now I need to go so that I can get out of here before my brothers arrive. I suggest you do the same.'

'Why?' Demetri's voice was surprisingly sharp.

'Excuse me?'

'Why are you still running from your pack?' he pressed.

'That's really none of your bus–'

'The hell it's not!' Demetri cut in angrily. 'They're your family, Leah. If this errand is over, then go home. Go home where it's safe.'

'Safe?' Didn't he understand? Home wasn't safe. Nowhere was anymore. It was exactly why I needed to start over. I needed to get away from the memories and away from all of the people with the power to hurt me.

Demetri ran a frustrated hand through his hair. 'You already guessed it earlier, Leah. Aro _will_ be mad. And with access to my thoughts, he'll know exactly where you are _every single second_ of the rest of your life. You need to stay with your pack – they can protect you.'

But who would protect me from myself? From the person I became when I was with them? My voice shook slightly as I bit back. 'I don't need protection!'

'Damn it, Leah, would you listen to yourself? The Volturi – _me_ – we're not something to be taken lightly.'

His words were like a slap to the face. They confirmed everything I already knew and were the reason why I couldn't let Demetri hold so much power over me. In spite of everything, there _was_ no distinction between him and the Volturi. 'What's it to you anyway?' I asked vehemently. 'So what if something happens to me?'

Demetri's voice quieted, though he made no attempt to hide the anger simmering beneath his words. 'What's it to me? Geez, Leah, you even have to ask?'

'Then why go back?' I shouted.

'Leah –'

'No, Demetri,' I snapped, cutting him off. 'Tell me why. You're happy to go against Aro's wishes. You're even human enough to care about the wrong he's doing, and yet you're willing to return to Italy. Why? _You're_ the one who's putting me in danger!' My heart beat painfully against my chest as my temper rose. What had I expected? That he'd run from Aro to protect me? It was illogical and I knew it. But pain is seldom logical, and the hurt that came along with this realization quickly tightened itself around my chest.

Demetri stormed up to me. Before I could pull away, he grabbed my hand roughly and placed it against his chest. 'What do you feel, Leah?' he asked, his voice kept low and dangerously steady.

Tears filled my eyes as I felt for the heartbeat that I knew wasn't there. A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't reply.

'Tell me what you feel!' Demetri hissed stubbornly.

'Nothing,' I choked out in a whisper.

'Nothing,' Demetri echoed bitterly as he dropped my hand. 'I am what I am, Leah. I have to go back to the Volturi. It's where I belong.'

I backed away from him slowly, shaking my head as my mind fought against the truth of his words.

Demetri stared at me. An internal battle seemed to be raging inside of him. 'Give me a reason,' he breathed as I moved further and further away from him. 'Give me a reason, Leah, and so God help me I'll leave them.'

I stopped dead in my tracks. Each word I spat at Demetri ripped my heart into pieces, but I commanded myself to go on. 'Do what you like, Demetri.'

I turned before he could see the tears streaming down my face and in the natural progression of my pain, I phased. There were no voices in my head this time and for once, I wished I had my brothers' thoughts there to distract me. I counted my steps as I ran back towards the lions. The numbers were meaningless, but they forced me to keep moving.

When I arrived back at the camp, only Nattaya was there. I ran straight past her to our tent and in seconds, I'd phased back and dressed into one of my few remaining sets of clothes. I turned to see Nattaya standing in the doorway, staring at me with wide, fearful eyes.

'What is it?' I asked her, though I struggled to find it inside of me to care about anything but the ache that was slowly strangling me.

She ignored my question. 'Where have you been, Leah?'

I frowned. 'Nowhere. I was just… getting some space.'

'Leah, I can smell it!' Nattaya exclaimed.

I froze as her words sunk in. What had I been thinking? Nattaya may not have been a shape-shifter, but she had enough of her mother's genes to know a vampire when she smelt one. Even I could smell his lingering scent wafting softly from my skin. 'You don't understand, Nattaya,' I pleaded. 'He isn't what you think.'

Genuine panic spread across my friend's face. 'I have to tell Eve,' she said.

'No!' I protested, grabbing Nattaya's arm as she turned to leave. 'You can't tell the tribe! They'll hunt him down!' In spite of everything, I still couldn't allow anyone to hurt Demetri. Nattaya looked torn. 'Please,' I begged. 'I care about him, Nattaya.'

Something happened then. Maybe it was because of her own heartache, or maybe it was because my confession gave her hope that there could be love after Jay. Whatever it was, it caused Nattaya to stop pulling away from the firm grip I held on her arm. 'Okay,' she said shakily, and I could see what the word had cost her. When I didn't let go of her arm, she looked me straight in the eye. 'I trust you, Leah. If you say he's worth protecting then I choose to believe you.'

I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. 'Thank you,' I said softly as I dropped my hand. 'Really and truly, Nattaya – thank you.'

Nattaya grabbed my other hand and squeezed it. 'Come,' she said. 'Let's get you cleaned up.'

Though still tense, I allowed her to lead me back outside the tent.

'Who is he?' Nattaya asked softly as we made our way down to the river so that I could wash Demetri's scent from my skin.

We were a little way downstream of the pool, where I assumed that the rest of the tribe was now. I scanned the riverbank, and was just about to reply when something caught my eye and I froze. Feeling my dead weight against her hand, Nattaya turned questioningly towards me before abruptly and silently following my gaze. 'See for yourself,' I murmured in shock.

Nattaya gave me a hesitant glance before gathering her strength and dropping my hand. Cautiously, she walked towards the vampire, who stood so still he was almost camouflaged. I had to hand it to her – Nattaya showed no signs of fear as she held out her hand in greeting. 'I'm Nattaya,' she said, wrinkling her nose slightly. 'It's nice to meet you.'

Demetri held my gaze as he shook her hand. 'Demetri,' he replied shortly.

Finding the use of my limbs once more, I pushed past Nattaya and glared up at Demetri. 'What are you doing here?' I hissed. 'I told you to leave!'

'You told me to do what I want.'

My heart was pounding in my chest. 'You need to go!' I cried desperately.

But Demetri wasn't listening. His eyes tightened as he gazed distractedly over my shoulder. I sensed something in his face and spun around instinctively. 'No!' I yelled as Jay came out of nowhere and, in his lion form, began running at us. His intent was clear. He was aiming for the kill.

I pressed myself against Demetri's side, declaring my allegiance. At the same time, Nattaya spun around to decipher what had caused me to shout out. In a second, she'd stepped in front of Demetri and me, glaring at Jay as she spread her arms wide to shield us.

'Nattaya, don't!' I pleaded with her. This was our fight, not hers. Nattaya didn't deserve to get hurt. But it worked. Jay skidded to a halt in front of her. No matter how much his natural instincts compelled him to kill Demetri, he wasn't prepared to hurt Nattaya in the process.

Jay darted from side to side as he searched for a way to get around her defences. But each time he moved, Nattaya mirrored him, keeping Demetri and I out of his path.

'Run!' I whispered urgently to Demetri, knowing that we were both fast enough to outstrip any pursuit.

But he placed a restraining hand on my arm and shook his head very slightly. His reply was soft enough that I knew only I could hear it. 'Not yet,' he murmured under his breath. 'There are more of them coming; Jay must have called them. If we run now, they'll intercept us before we have a chance to penetrate their attack.'

I knew enough about Demetri's talent to trust his advice. Dipping my head in understanding, I began to scan the environment around us. Sure enough, as Nattaya and Jay continued to weave a complicated dance in front of us, more lions began to emerge from the surrounding bush. There were three of them to our left, and five to our right. Behind us, the river was our only hope of escape.

The lions stood motionless, their heads bowed under an alpha command. They waited as their leader materialized behind Jay. I felt my heart momentarily stop as Eve walked deliberately forward and settled into a calculated crouch. I screamed as I realized she wasn't going to wait for Nattaya to move. As Eve's golden form flew through the air towards us, several things happened at once: Demetri yelled the word 'Now!' and Jay leapt towards Eve, protecting Nattaya. Demetri grabbed my hand and pulled me urgently towards the river, and though I heard the sound of the colliding lions, I forced myself not to turn around.

'Don't phase,' Demetri commanded me, 'until we get back on dry land.'

He grabbed me around the waist and threw the pair of us into the water. Knowing that any movement I made would hinder his ability to get us across the river as quickly as possible, I stopped myself from trying to swim. Our bodies sliced through the water as Demetri propelled us towards the other side with inhuman speed. I had barely registered the fact that I needed to take a breath when Demetri pulled me to my feet and I realized that I could stand in the shallow water.

'Run, Leah!' Demetri instructed.

I turned to take one last glance towards the lions that stood angrily on the opposite shoreline; a number of them had already leapt into the water. In a moment of stillness, I regretted the end that my journey had come to. Taking a deep breath, I threw myself out of the river and phased mid-air. Then, with Demetri at my side, I began to flee.

_Leah?_

I almost stopped running. Only the steady pace that Demetri kept at my side kept me going. _Seth?_

_Leah, where are you?_ Jacob's voice was forceful as he searched my thoughts.

I didn't understand. Jacob and Seth were supposed to be on a plane with Quil and Embry. I fought to keep my thoughts clear, but I wasn't strong enough. The map I'd carefully kept during Demetri's and my search flashed through my thoughts, outlining for Jake my precise location. I tried to push it away and think of something else, but it was too late. Seth and Jacob were already on their way.

I panicked as I saw the familiar bush-lands in their thoughts as they pursued me. They were here; all of the hours I'd thought I had began to slip like grain through my fingers. It was why Quil and Embry hadn't been able to get in touch with Jake. He and Seth were already on their way. My pack was here. And they were coming for me.

Concern flooded through Seth's thoughts as he read my anguish. _We're not going to hurt you, Leah, _he thought. _We just want you to come home_.

My thoughts screamed out in protest, causing Seth to stumble momentarily as he raced towards me. Jake kept his thoughts surprisingly quiet. He was too bent on pursuit to try and reassure either me or my brother. _We've found her_, I heard him tell Sam, who was running determinedly alongside the leader of my pack. _It's a straight Westward run_.

All the while, I kept moving, forcing myself to give nothing more away. I wasn't going to surrender this easily. I didn't want to be found. I didn't want to be rescued. I followed Demetri's lead. He ran us in complicated circles and patterns that made it all but impossible for the lions to follow our scents accurately. Even I was unsure exactly where we were – a fact that I was perfectly accepting of since it meant that my brothers didn't know either.

When we eventually stopped, Demetri yanked off his t-shirt and threw it towards me. I wasted no time in phasing back and draping it over me. It was long enough that it reached my mid-thighs.

I was shaking violently. 'They're here!' I snarled in accusation. 'Why didn't you tell me they were here?'

Demetri didn't reply immediately. He was so beautiful it made my heart ache. 'You know why,' he finally said.

'I'm not going back!' I yelled.

'You don't have a choice anymore, Leah,' Demetri told me.

My whole body was on fire but I fought viciously for control. If I wanted to evade my brothers, now was my last chance. I couldn't phase again and give them any more clues how to find me.

Demetri wasn't done. 'You belong with your pack,' he continued. 'Didn't you realize? If you had truly left your pack, you would no longer share their thoughts.'

I refused to let his words sink in. Instead, I tried a new approach. 'Don't go back to Italy,' I whispered, still shaking.

For the first time, I watched as Demetri allowed his own pain to seep into his words. 'Where else can I go, Leah?'

_Stay with me_, I wanted to say. _Stay with me and we can run away together_. But I didn't. I pressed my lips together and held the words inside of me. No good could come of Demetri and I. Sam had long ago taught me the futility of love, and I was never going to let anyone hurt me like that again.

As if he'd read my thoughts, Demetri said the words that almost made me cry out in pain. 'I could never break your heart, Leah,' he said. 'Nobody could. Not when you're doing such a damn good job of breaking it yourself.'

I was losing control. I tried to grab Demetri's hands so that his temperature could stop my phase, but he dodged out of my way. Shouting out in pain and anger, I pulled his shirt from my shoulders just in time to feel the heat inside of me ripping me apart and molding what remained of me into a wolf. Demetri landed lightly in front of me again and grabbed my face so that I was looking directly into his topaz eyes.

'Jacob Black,' he said, speaking the words clearly and deliberately. 'Come. We will await you.' With that, Demetri rattled off a list of co-ordinates which I knew would lead Jake to exactly where we stood. The image of a broken man, Demetri dropped his hands and turned away from me.

Jacob relayed Demetri's words to Sam, but I barely noticed. I had experienced this before. My anger was too large – too human – to be contained in my wolf form. Numbly, I transformed back into the human girl I'd been before and pulled Demetri's shirt over my shoulders once more.

He turned warily towards me, but I didn't allow him to speak. Like I had the first time I met him, I began to beat my fists against his stone chest. 'How – dare – you!' I cried as I hit him. 'How could you, you filthy leech!'

Demetri locked his hands around my wrists, and in a moment the fight inside of me died. My energy was gone. I couldn't wrestle him any longer. I'd lost. There was no hope inside of me anymore, but I had to try once more. 'Please, Demetri,' I whispered. 'I can't go home. It's too hard there.'

I hated the pain I saw distorting Demetri's face. 'I'm sorry,' he told me. He squeezed his eyes shut and continued, 'There's something I need to tell you, Leah,' he said. 'I lied to you. Aro never wanted you to gain the shape-shifters' trust; he knew that it was something you would never do… He just wanted information.' Demetri paused before confessing the rest to me in a rush. 'Aro figured that if you stayed with the lions long enough, you'd find out everything there was to know about the tribe. I was supposed to take you to Italy afterwards, where he could read your mind.'

'Why?' I choked out, though I knew the answer already.

Demetri opened his eyes and stared straight at me. 'Because he wants them, Leah. To add to his collection. After what happened last time with Renesmee, he's too afraid to try and convert one of you. But the lions are a different story. He wants them, but they're so unknown to us that he isn't willing to walk straight into their camp and risk getting it wrong. With your knowledge, Aro would have everything he needs to formulate a plan… You need to go home, Leah. Because Aro won't stop until he has that information.'

I jerked my hands from Demetri's grip and tried to turn away. But his hands caught me around the waist and stopped me. 'You'll never know how much I regret lying to you,' he told me. I tried to pull away, but Demetri pulled me closer, lowering his face and crushing his lips against mine.

I wasn't prepared for this. As his lips moved cautiously and desperately against mine, I felt myself giving into everything inside of me that I'd been doing my best to deny. My arms moved upwards of their own accord and wrapped themselves around Demetri's neck, bringing him even closer to me. Flames came alight in the pit of my stomach and began to lap at the rest of me as I kissed him back. I didn't realize I was crying, until I tasted the salt from my tears. It only made Demetri kiss me harder, more urgently. His tongue darted inside my mouth and I tasted what it was like when fire met ice. There was nothing in the world as perfect and as heart-breaking as that moment.

Eventually, Demetri broke away, though he kept his forehead pressed against mine. Gently, he wiped my tears away with his thumbs, before softly kissing each one of my downcast eyelids.

Suddenly, Demetri froze and I looked up to see him staring straight past me. I turned to face the same way, hating that I knew what he was waiting for. I wasn't sure which one of us took the other's hand first, but we stood like that for an immeasurable moment: fingers intertwined, staring out into the distance.

Waiting.


	19. Someday

**Leah**

The scene was enough to make any film director weep with envy: Demetri and I, standing hand in hand, staring out into the distance. He, shirtless and beautiful, and me, dressed only in his grey t-shirt. My tears were gone now and taking their place was the fiercely determined expression of a soldier going into battle. Against the horizon, the world was basked in silhouette by the setting sun; the whole sky was on fire with its parting perfection. My grip on Demetri's hand tightened as three large, dark forms emerged in the distance.

They moved steadily closer – sinister shadows haunting Africa's mysterious beauty. My face hardened with each passing second. It had been one thing to stand like this against the lions, but it was a whole other story to declare to my own pack where my loyalties lay: here with the enemy at my side. A growl ripped apart the night air and I knew that, a few hundred metres away, Sam felt the same way.

And still they moved closer.

Beside me, Demetri was motionless. But for the fire that blazed behind his eyes, his face was wiped clear of emotion. Everything in his expression, everything in his stance, testified to the fact that he was a fighter – born and bred for situations such as this.

A hundred metres from us, the pack broke apart. The smallest wolf – Seth – moved stealthily to our right whilst a second, darker shape progressed across my corner vision, telling me that Sam was moving to the left. But I kept my eyes on the russet colored wolf in front of me. He was the better fighter. The leader. Our best chance and our worst threat. If I couldn't reason with Jacob, I had no choice but to fight him.

The pack had us circled now. They were closing in on us. I tried to yell out at them to stop, but their snarls and growls drowned out the sound of my cry. Attack now and talk later. Ever the pack philosophy.

Demetri dropped my hand. Only then did I realize he'd pressed something into my palm. A lump rose in my throat as I looked down just long enough to make out one of Tendai's wooden pendants. Shoving the memories to the back of my mind, I lifted my eyes once more to Jacob as Demetri spun around and flattened his back against mine. We were a team. One entity against another.

Jacob and Sam lunged towards Demetri at the same time, leaving Seth waiting in his offensive crouch. I didn't even need to think. I threw myself towards Jacob, tearing Demetri's shirt into pieces as I phased. My front paws hit him square in his exposed stomach, throwing the pair of us into the hard ground. Jacob yelped as he used all of his weight to shove my body off of his. He was on his feet in seconds, facing me and snarling defensively. Whatever he had expected, it wasn't this.

_Back off, Leah_, he threatened. _Let us finish what we started_. He spun around and took off after Demetri who was doing his best to defend himself against Sam's attack.

_Over my dead body_, I spat at Jacob as I leapt to my feet and charged towards him. This time I caught his hind legs, tearing his flesh with my claws. He tried to shake me off, but I used the ground to push myself onto him, sinking my teeth into the nape of his neck. Jacob bucked, but I latched on, only letting go when he threw himself to the ground and rolled on top of me.

I pulled myself free and sprung to all fours. I was blocking Jacob's pathway to Demetri and he howled out in frustration as he tried and failed to dart around me. The fur bristled on my neck as I bared my teeth and growled.

_What the hell, Leah?_

I was ready to bite back, but a small whine from Seth distracted me. I watched through his thoughts as Demetri managed to dive out of Sam's way only to spin around and pin him to the ground. Demetri had him. Sam had lost. One move and Sam would be dead. Sick at the thought of anyone dying today, I almost turned around to stop him. But as Seth watched, instead of hurting him, Demetri shoved Sam aside and leapt up, searching for an escape. He found nowhere to run. Seth had all escape routes covered, and Sam was already back on his feet, running at Demetri once more. Demetri swiftly dodged Sam's dive and so began his dance with death.

I was both horrified and grateful as I realized what Demetri was doing. Though he dodged and evaded every one of Sam's attacks, he made no motion to harm Sam. And it was going to get him killed. Seth circled the pair of them, making sure to keep Demetri within Sam's grasp. Sooner or later, Demetri would make a mistake. There was no way for him to survive without fighting.

Jacob's thoughts were polar opposite to mine. He saw Demetri's ability to survive this long without actually attacking Sam as a threat. And so he made the only call that made sense to him. _Attack_, he told Seth. It wasn't an alpha command, but what was the need? Seth worshiped the ground Jake walked on. He thrived on completing Jacob's instructions.

Seth crouched, his muscles coiled, ready to spring. His mind, uncharacteristically, was a blank.

_No! _I screamed out. It was two armed men against a defenseless enemy. You didn't need to be a genius to figure out the odds. _Please, Seth! Please don't hurt him._

But it was no use. I howled as Seth took off through the air towards Sam and Demetri. Though my back was turned, I knew that there would be no hiding from the horror of Demetri's death. I would be forced to watch it all through Seth and Jacob's thoughts. Forced to suffer in their triumph.

As quickly as it had appeared, my dread turned to shocked and unbelieving gratitude as Seth flew deliberately past Demetri and collided with Sam, tackling him to the ground. That split second was all that Demetri needed. I spun around in time to see him looking at me with pain and regret flooding his every feature.

'Goodbye, Leah,' he murmured, before turning and running.

I felt numb. Like I was watching the scene unfold from someone else's eyes.

_Get off of Sam_, Jacob commanded Seth furiously. _You and Leah wait here. You've done enough damage._

This time there was no disobeying Jacob, as both he and Sam took off after Demetri. I collapsed in a heap, barely aware of my body as it transformed back into its human form. Seth's voice appeared at my side just moments later.

'I figured you might need these,' he said hesitantly. 'You weren't there to pick them, so I just took the clothes at the top of your drawer.'

I opened my eyes to see him untie a pouch from his ankle and pull out a set of my old clothes. I tried to thank him, but my voice broke on the first word. Weakly, I sat up and pulled them on. Moments later, Seth sunk to the ground next to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

'Do you think they'll catch him?' he asked me, worry making his voice a little shaky.

I shook my head numbly. Demetri was a tracker. They would never find him. He was gone.

Seth relaxed a little at my reply, though his brow was still creased with concern. 'I'm sorry we came after you, Leah. I missed you, but I know you didn't want us to come... And I'm sorry Jake and Sam tried to kill Demetri.'

I didn't reply.

It took a long while for Seth to ask his next question. 'Do you… do you love Demetri, Leah? Is that why you didn't want us to attack?'

'No,' I said scathingly as I shoved him away and stood up. Thankful to Seth for not following me, I walked back to where Demetri and I had stood as we waited for the pack. Something caught my eye and I bent down to find the pendant that Demetri had pressed into my hand. I brushed my fingertips across the half human, half lion face and numbly turned it over. There, carved in small, neat letters were three words:

_Everything for you_.

A single tear fell from my eyes and splashed onto the wood.

I did love Demetri. And that was the problem.

* * *

><p><strong>Demetri<strong>

The bathroom stank of hidden thoughts and dirty secrets. Still, it was fitting, I suppose.

I waited without breathing for what felt like an eternity. I was certain he was heading this way, but did he really have to walk this slowly to fit in with the humans? When the door finally opened, I made my move – quickly, before he could react. I held him by the throat, pinned up against the wall.

'Nice to see you again, mutt,' I said silkily, hoping he could hear the threat in my voice.

Sam struggled violently against my hand but though he was strong, his human strength was no match for my iron grip. I could sense the effort he was putting into shifting, and laughed sardonically as I remembered the effect I'd had on Leah when she'd been on the brink of a phase.

'There's no use trying to phase,' I told him. 'You can't. Not so long as I'm touching you. Some glitch in your system, I suppose.'

'Let go of me, leech!' Sam hissed.

'Shut up,' I growled. 'You're lucky I didn't break your neck when I had the chance this afternoon.'

'What – do you – want?' Sam's words, though furious, were coming in gasps, and I loosened my grip a little.

'To lay down a few ground rules,' I answered, 'seeing as I didn't get a chance to do so earlier.' I didn't bother waiting for a response. 'Firstly, see to it that Jacob Black makes Leah stay in La Push.'

'Why?' Sam asked angrily before I could go on.

'_That_,' I said, 'does not concern you.'

'Leah concerns me!'

My temper rose quickly. 'You lost any right to that claim when you left her for her cousin,' I snarled. I reflexly tightened my grip on his neck. 'Which brings me to my second point: stay away from Leah. _You, _Sam Uley, are the reason why she doesn't want to return home. So leave her be – it's the least she deserves from you.'

Sam's face was beginning to turn red. With a sigh, I let him down. I wasn't stupid. Tempting as it was to keep taunting him, I chose to turn and leave.

I was gone before he could react.

It was difficult to leave the airport knowing that Leah was inside, waiting to board the next flight home with her brothers. I'd evaded Jacob and Sam easily enough this afternoon, and eventually they'd given up the chase, choosing instead to finally go back to La Push. I wondered fleetingly what Leah would say if she knew about my encounter with Sam. But she never would. Sam wouldn't tell. I'd picked it long ago – he was a coward. It was why I'd chosen to speak to him and not Jacob.

I had to admit it, this wasn't my usual style. Strictly speaking, my instructions to Sam weren't even necessary. Once Jacob found out about Aro's plan – as he no doubt would – he would ensure Leah stayed in La Push. Try as I may to justify my actions, I was nothing if not realistic. More than anything, I'd just needed somebody to take out my emotions on. Take your pick: anger, hurt, frustration, fear… They were all building inside of me. And, given my opinion of Sam, he was my first choice boxing bag.

I stayed on the street, waiting and watching as Leah's plane eventually took off from the runway. My hands balled into fists as she moved further and further away.

In the end, there were only two alternatives I could live with; two ways to keep Leah safe.

And she'd made her choice.

Maybe it was better this way; maybe I could protect her better from afar.

I spun away from the plane, refusing to watch as my world was taken away from me. My eyes narrowed in determination. I still had a job to do. And it was for Leah.

Everything I did from now on was for her.

**THE END**

* * *

><p><strong>COMING SOON... 'Everything For You', the sequel to 'And Yet Dusk Fades'<strong>

**Thanks for all your support so far, it means the world to me. I hope you join me on the next part of Leah and Demetri's journey. It makes me sad that I had to end it like this, but in the end, I wanted to stay true to Leah and felt that this was the only way. But do not worry, this is not the end... not yet anyway :)**

**It took a long time for me to finally decide to make the next section a separate story, as it were, rather than just continuing AYDF. But since the next section requires me to write mostly from Demetri's POV, I thought it would be better to separate the two.**

**Once again, you guys are amazing and I can't thank you enough.  
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